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St. Joe donates to early learning coalition
Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida receives generous donation
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — The Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida received a big donation that will help young kids in the area with their education.
The St. Joe Community Foundation donated $96,000 to the coalition to help prepare kids for kindergarten.
They’ve been partners with the coalition for several years, and St. Joe’s donations help them improve and provide services such as School Readiness, Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten, and literacy coaching. Early Learning Coalition officials say these services make a big difference in children’s academic growth.
“Donations and partnerships like this really set our youngest learners up for success later on in life. Studies show that they’re more likely to graduate, they’re less likely to have negative behaviors, and they’re socially ready to tackle a lifelong journey of learning,” Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida Communications Specialist Brooke Powell said.
For more information on the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida, click here.
Lynn Haven preschoolers put their hands to work
LYNN HAVEN, Fla. (WMBB) – On Friday, preschoolers at the Hawks Nest Learning Tree in Lynn Haven put their hands to work, making their hands. Each child created a work of art, depicting their own hand.
The initiative is called “Painting of the Hands” organized by the early learning coalition of Northwest Florida.
All of the kid’s work is heading to Tallahassee where they will hang in the Capitol Rotunda, reminding legislators to remember Florida’s littlest citizens.
“The number one thing is making sure that we’re getting the support that the children need and the child care centers need. Whether it be for mental health or anything along the lines of any kind of support the children need, it all kind of goes back to the centers. So and ELC and making sure the coalitions being able to provide that support for us,” Bay County director and owner Jaimie Young said.
More than 25 kids participated in the project on Friday.
Learn more about the initiative here.
ArtKidDoo Art Festival returns this weekend
CHIPLEY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) -The Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida is bringing back its ArtKidDoo children’s art festival.
The festival will be held on Saturday, February 17, at Chipley’s Shivers Park from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The event is free and will be offering hands-on arts and crafts as well as snacks, refreshments, games, and entertainment provided by local vendors.
For more information about the event watch the interview from NewsChannel 7 at 4.
Kids can get creative at Saturday art fest
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – ArtKidDoo is coming back bigger and better than ever!
The popular children’s event returns to the area after a four-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
ArtKidDoo is an event collaborating with the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida, childcare providers, local businesses, non-profit as well as civic organizations to help encourage awareness of the arts for young children.
The children’s art festival will be held on Saturday, February 17 at Shivers Park in Chipley from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.
“We absolutely believe that it’s important for children to have access to that kind of messy play and creative learning time,” said Lindsay Holmes, the Education Services Director with the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florid
The one day is completely free to the public and will offer hands-on arts and crafts as well as snacks, games, and entertainment that is provided by local vendors.
“Early learning is the first step to life, and that’s what our organization does,” said Tami Valdez, the Communications and Development Director for the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida.
Ensure your child is on track with free developmental screenings
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — The Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida wants to make sure parents know about their free Help Me Grow program.
Help Me Grow Northwest Florida is a free developmental screening service for children under 8 who live in Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, and Washington counties.
“Developmental screenings are very convenient, they’re easy; they shouldn’t take more than 25 minutes,” said Alyssa Gray, Special Programs Manager for the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida. “About once a year, a parent should check on their child’s development.”
Through a simple-to-use questionnaire, families can measure growth and take the necessary steps to ensure that their child’s developmental needs are being met.
“We work with the parent to empower them to continue to advocate for their children in the system, but we want to make sure the system is easier to access,” said Gray.
To access the development screening and learn more about the program, click here.
Guest column: The importance of early childhood education
Suzan Gage, Special to the News-Herald
The older children get, the more we can see how significant their younger years were in their development. Experiences occurring during this period provide the foundation for them as individuals when they grow older. With a strong foundation, they can grow into successful adults.
This is why the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida (ELCNWF) emphasizes the importance of early education and the effects it can have on your children beyond their youngest years.
There are many tools available that contribute to a child’s future success, but two big factors that help ensure your child is on track for a bright education: consistently doing checkups on how they’re developing and understanding the far-reaching impact childcare teachers have on a child’s life.
These go hand in hand as parents and guardians search for resources that will help them navigate the complexities of raising a child and setting them up for success.
It’s vitally important for parents to understand just how ready their children are for kindergarten, both physically and developmentally. ELCNWF is partnered with Help Me Grow Northwest Florida, which offers free developmental screenings to children younger than 9 who live in Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties.
The screening begins with a simple questionnaire that will help families better understand their child’s growth and ensure that they are on the developmental track to success. Help Me Grow Northwest Florida knows how crucial early intervention is and encourages parents to use the screenings to celebrate their children’s milestones.
This service will also connect a family with a professional if early intervention is appropriate. The results of these screenings can also be shared with childcare teachers so they’re able to understand and accommodate each child’s unique needs.
Childcare teachers are the building blocks for a child’s educational success, and they set the foundation for our children’s lifelong learning experiences. Kickstart Success addresses the need for more childcare teachers in our local communities and early learning centers.
This is a tremendous opportunity for local residents to launch a career in early education, making a difference in the lives of the next generation. Becoming a childcare teacher at your own child’s learning center is a great way to make a meaningful impact in your community while spending precious quality time with your own child and being a mentor to their peers.
ELCNWF recognizes that it takes more than just one thing to ensure every child has a bright future. Developmental screenings and childcare teachers work to enhance local childcare centers and support improved early education. The result is nothing short of better outcomes for all our area’s children.
Suzan Gage is the executive director of the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida. For more information on Help Me Grow Screenings and Kickstart Success, visit elcnwf.org.
ELCNWF ANNOUNCES GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDCARE PROVIDERS
$10K GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, AND MATERIALS
Marianna, FL – Childcare centers across the country are no longer receiving direct government aid from the American Rescue Plan Act; however, some of that funding is still accessible following decisions from state lawmakers to set aside $315 million to continue helping childcare providers through June 30, 2024.
ELCNWF, which services Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, and Washington Counties is expected to receive $4.9 million dollars from the Early Learning Discretionary Grant Program.
The first round of funding of $1.2 million began October 27. Childcare providers in ELCNWF’s service area can apply for $10,000 grants to offset operational costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications will be open until December 1 or until funds are expended. So far, 53 childcare providers have received grants totaling $530K.
Allowable expenditures include items such as indoor and outdoor equipment, classroom materials, payroll or bookkeeping software and licensing fees.
“We are so grateful to be able to provide these grants to support childcare providers,” said ELCNWF Executive Director Suzan Gage. “Childcare providers are dealing with changing demands and increasing costs. These grants will help bring providers relief so that they can continue serving families in Northwest Florida.”
The next round of funding for childcare centers will be announced in early 2024. Providers who contract with ELCNWF will receive email notifications and the application will be posted on our website.
Providers can apply for the first round of funding using the link below:
For more information on grant funding, contact Lindsay Holmes at [email protected]. For media availability, contact Tami Valdez, at [email protected].
Wellness During the Holidays
There are a few simple things that we can do this holiday season to help our children stay mentally and physically well. Diet plays a critical role in our wellness and foods such as berries, green vegetables, and pumpkin seeds promote brain development and support immune health.
Fatigue, body aches, and feeling down can be a sign that your child is overdue for a wellness check, but don’t forget about their brain’s health! Mental health challenges can be overwhelming during the holiday season. This is to be expected when routines are off, family members you haven’t seen for a while are crowded in your personal space, and there’s tons of funny looking food without a chicken nugget in sight.
Here are some tips for helping your child combat stress:
- Plan ahead and consider creating a safe space for your children to express themselves in new places. Reflect and respond to your child’s thoughts, feelings, and needs which will create an atmosphere of understanding and acceptance for your child and help prevent problems.
- Pick your battles and try to use humor. Finding a way to laugh with your child will help relieve their body’s stress response and redirect from negative feelings.
While children pour into their caregivers for support this holiday season, it is important that we don’t forget to pour into ourselves. Self-care can replenish a parent’s energy, focus, and positivity. Whatever strategies you choose to keep you and your family well, be intentional and do it with love. For more tips on how to promote your child’s wellness during the holidays, contact our Help Me Grow team at [email protected].
Family Engagement Month 2023
November is Family Engagement Month which is a special time to recognize the vital role that parents and families play in their child’s education. After all, families are their child’s first teacher. This month is an opportunity for families to partner with the Early Learning Coalition and early learning programs to support their children’s learning and development.
What is Family Engagement?
Familes are engaged when they partner with early learning programs to promote their children’s development, learning, and wellness. Positive relationships between families and staff in early learning programs are the foundation for family engagement.
Family engagement has been shown to:
- Increase a child’s motivation to learn
- Reduce behavioral problems
- Support growth and development
- Foster school readiness skills, such as impulse control, attention, memory, and planning skills
The following checklist is a tool for your family to use to consider the level of partnership with your child’s early learning program. Ask yourself the following questions and check a box for your answer. For any items answered “no”, you may want to write a note on how you can begin doing that item. Consider sharing your responses with your child’s teacher and discuss ways you can be even more engaged in your child’s learning.
Family Engagement Ideas
Below are ideas of ways you can increase engagement with your children:
- Visit your local library and read together.
- Read your child’s daily note and talk about the activities they did at school.
- Explore and talk about different jobs or careers with your child.
- As a family, learn more about recycling efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
- Encourage conversation among family members at the dinner table.
- Invite your child to help you plan a meal, make a grocery list, shop, and help prepare the meal.
- Use ‘downtime’ in the car or on a walk to sing songs or teach nursery thymes to your child.
- During bath time let your child discover which objects will float and which objects sink.
- Draw a picture with your child from their favorite book.
- Use facial expressions and have your child guess the emotion you are showing. Are you happy, sad, or scared?
- Talk about things for which your family is grateful.
- Add some fun to everyday routines. Play music and dance together while making dinner, folding laundry, or cleaning up.
- Talk with your family about helping others and why it is important.
- Take a walk with your child and collect leaves to sort by shape and size.
- Establish a consistent bedtime routine with your child (bathing, brushing teeth, reading a story).
- Talk, read, and sing to your baby or young child every day. It helps your child’s brain development.
- Take a walk through your home and make finding counting activities part of a regular routine.
- Share five favorite things about your child with them.
- Talk! It’s the #1 thing you can do to support your child.
- Plan a day with no electronics. Read books, play board games, or do puzzles with your child.
- Help your child find numbers, shapes, or colors during the day.
- Ask your child what activity they would like to do today.
- Play your favorite music and dance with your child.
- Read with your child and make a list of things that they wonder about from the book.
- Visit a local park and talk about what they see.
- Snuggle up and read to your child for 15 minutes.
Family Engagement Pledge
Take the following pledge and let your child know you are committed to their success.
As a parent, guardian, or caring adult, I pledge to support my child’s education and healthy development to the best of my ability because I am my child’s first teacher. I have high expectations for my child and want them to succeed in school and in life. I pledge to stay involved, serve as a positive role model, and maintain open communication with my child’s teachers to ensure education remains a top priority in my household. I understand that it is my responsibility to stay informed and involved in all parts of my child’s education and health. Education is the key to success, and I will do everything I can to promote my child’s ability to learn.
At the Early Learning Coalition, we also have a Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) program that can connect you with resources to help support your role as your child’s first teacher. You may contact them at 850-747-5400 ext. 108.