- Take Action Now! Read the summary of federal legislation affecting children. Then contact your legislators to remind them how important our children are.
- The Senate appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education met today to consider FY2011 funding for key early learning programs, and the result was fantastic news for at-risk young children read more.
The bill also includes $300 million for the Early Learning Challenge Fund, click here to learn more about this fund.
The appropriations bills still have to work their way through full committees and both chambers of Congress, but this is a great first step that speaks volumes about the importance of early education.
- When will all the new changes be implemented? Read the Rules Timeline to see when legislative mandates are anticipated to be implemented and the Schedule of Rule Development that explains the possess. Read the AWI presentation on the Rule Promulgation Process.
- Read the summary of 2010 Florida Legislative bills that affect Early Learning.
- Senate Bill 2014, allows a VPK provider that remained on probation for two consecutive years and subsequently failed to meet the minimum rate set by the State Board of Education, to apply for a good cause exemption from being ineligible to offer the VPK program, read the bill.
Read this document explains the details of Senator Wise's Early Education legislation and the rules needed to comply with the legislation.
- Read Week 6 of the Florida Children's Services Council Capital Connection.
- Read the the latest issue of Legislative Link form the United Way.
- Read the Call to Action from Florida Child Healthcare Coalition
- Read Week 5 of the Florida Children's Services Council Capital Connection.
- Download our latest Legislative Kit for Parents and Providers.
- Read Week 4 of the Florida Children's Services Council Capital Connection.
- Read Week 3 of the Florida Children's Services Council Capital Connection.
- Support the House budget proposal for VPK which allocates $402.3 million to preserve the high quality programs Florida voters envisioned, read more.
- Pre-K Program Facing Disastrous Cuts. Read the letter to the editor of the Miami Herald.
- Advocacy works in the House!
The tremendous advocacy effort that included personal visits, telephone calls, e-mails, and letters sent by our providers, board members and community partners to the members of the House Full Appropriations Council were very helpful.
The budget amendment introduced by Representative Flores was unanimously approved this morning by the Council. The amendment reduces the base VPK student allocation by just 1% instead of the 15% originally proposed by the PreK-12 Appropriations Committee. The class size and teacher credentials remain the same as they are now. The VPK admin is reduced from 4.85% to 4.5%.
The action today gets us one step closer to our goal of preserving VPK per student funding and class sizes so that our providers can continue to deliver high quality services. But we still need your help in the Senate!
- Download Investing in Florida’s Children: Good Policy, Smart Economics from The Policy Group for Florida’s Families and Children.
- House Bill 5101 proposes to increase the number of students in a VPK Class, read more.
- Download 2010 Florida House and Senate Legislative Bills to look out for *updated*
- Maintain VPK per child funding at $2575 in order to ensure continued high-quality programs Florida voters envisioned, read more from AWI's VPK update.
- Another Tight Budget Year, More Tough Cuts, read more from the Capital Connection Newsletter.
- Legislative Update! Over the last week, the House and Senate have released their proposed budgets for both the School Readiness and VPK programs. the download will show a summary of the reductions as well as information that you may want to share as you continue to educate members on the benefits of Florida’s early learning programs, read more.
- Download AELC Florida Senate and House of Representatives Legislative Committees of Interest
- Download 2010 AELC Legislative information sheet
- Download AELC Legislative Concerns for 09-10 Session
- Association of Early Learning Coalitions releases its 2010 Legislative Priorities
- AWI releases the funding requirements for School Readiness and VPK
- Federal college loan program saves money by eliminating private lenders
Read Miami Herald Op Ed piece
First Five Years Fund information sheet on The Early Learning Challenge Fund
read The Facts Behind the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act
- Federal Budget Basics by Early Care and Education Consortium
- Obama Administration Proposal Highlights Child Care (
January 27, 2010) read more.
- Association of Early Learning Coalitions releases its talking points for legislative priorities, read more.
- Governor Crist Unveils Record $22.7-Billion Proposed Budget
for Pre-K-12 Education, read more.
- The ELC has compiled a list of State bills that could affect the Early Learning Community in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, read more.
- Early Learning Budget Faces Major Shortfall
While the Governor develops his budget proposal for 2010-11, early
childhood advocates should be aware that a very large funding gap is in
the offing for Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) and School Readiness
programs. In fact, the legislature must potentially find $146.8 million of
general revenue to cover the gap created by VPK growth and last year's
move to replace general revenue with non-recurring stimulus funds. The
breakdown on various line items is outlined here. Read more in the Florida Children's Services Council News Update issue #39 and FCSC Summary on the Budget Shortfall
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