ONLINE 2015-2016 VPK registration will be available March 9, 2015!!!!

Announcing: Parents can register on line for VPK use button below!

Click Here to read about VPK and to see VPK Parent Online Registration System

Frequently Asked Questions- Click Here.

Take a moment and watch this wonderful video and share with your family--it only takes a few minutes--it is life changing....

This great video was included in the White House Summit on Reducing the Word Gap:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOHaFmFX-U4

FREE TAX PREPARATION!!!!!!

 Charlotte County Residents---Click HERE for free tax prepartion services, if you earned under $57,000 in 2014!   Find out the details and make an appointment with United Way of Charlotte County!  Uniting People, resources and ideas to advance the common good! 

And in DeSoto County Residents Click HERE for free tax preparation services too!!!!

Click Giving Partner for your source for knowledge about charitable nonprofits in Southwest Florida.

Being a parent is a big job. Healthy Families is here to help.

Healthy Families provides free, voluntary, home visiting services that increase parenting knowledge and skills. During regularly scheduled home visits, parents receive encouragement and support and learn about healthy child growth and development. These services begin prenatally or immediately after the birth of your baby.

Contact us today to see if you qualify for services.

Odell Rivas, HF Desoto/Hardee

Phone: 863-303-4022

Jill Perrotta, HF Charlotte

Phone: 941-629-6477

AMAZON SMILE 

Stretch your dollars when shopping on Amazon! Your dollar will go a little further if you choose Early Learning Coalition of Florida's Heartland every time you shop! Thanks!

The Early Learning Coalition of Florida’s Heartland provides School Readiness services to a four county area.  We are one of 30 ELCs in Florida and our core service is child care subsidies for low-income and at-risk children age birth to 12 years.  Our children are in need of child care so that their parents can work or attend school. We work with local child care providers to provide a good quality early learning experience that includes a literacy rich environment; our goal is to work closely with parents and providers to assure children start school ready to learn.  

Unfortunately, the state and federal funding we receive is not sufficient to serve all of the eligible children in our area. This means that we always have eligible children on our wait list for service. Funding received through Amazon Smile would have a two-fold effect- it would immediately help a child in need receive child care services and it would enable a low income parent to continue to work or attend school.  These dollars would work in tandem with local contributions from agencies such as the United Way to assure children have access to quality child care services.

Share this easy/fast link to get to Amazon and let the shopping begin!!!!

http://smile.amazon.com/ch/65-1047991

                                                                                                     

Welcome to the Early Learning Coalition of Florida’s Heartland

from Ashley Coone, ELCFH Board Chair

 
At the Early Learning Coalition of Florida's Heartland, Inc, we understand that the first five years of a child's life are filled with incredible growth and development. From a child's first words and steps to kindergarten entry, the world is a wondrous place for learning and exploration. Parents and child care providers nurture children's growth and development through responsive and caring relationships. As a community, we believe that we have an obligation to support families with young children and the child care providers who tirelessly provide early care and education services. 

Our goal is to ensure young children in Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee and Highlands counties have access to high quality early care and education programs.  A high quality early care and education program is one that is filled with rich and creative experiences, a developmentally appropriate environment and caring teachers who sincerely connect with young children. Such a program can truly help a young child prepare for school success!

Please contact your local ELCFH office for your School Readiness, Voluntary-Prekindergarten and Child Care Resource and Referral needs. We look forward to serving you!

Punta Gorda Lions Club Provide Free Hearing, Vision and BMI screenings!

Making sure a child is healthy and reaching developmental milestones is key to future success in school. The Punta Gorda Lions Club is assisting the Early Learning Coalition of Florida’s Heartland, Inc. (ELCFH) by supporting that success! During this past school year, the Lions Club facilitated hearing, vision, and body mass index (BMI) screenings for children age birth to kindergarten entry. The screenings took place at local child care provider sites, making the service convenient for parents and comfortable for young children.  Over 672 Charlotte County young children were screened at 20 child care provider locations. Referrals were made for any vision, hearing or weight related concerns. Catching issues early allows
time for a child to be evaluated and treated by a doctor prior to starting school. This can make a huge and very positive impact on the child's performance in school.
"We appreciate the dedication and important service the Punta Gorda Lions Club is providing our young children", stated Ashley Coone, Board Chair of the ELCFH. “Many times parents are unaware that their child has a vision or hearing problem. They appreciate knowing about these health issues so they can address them early in their child’s life”. A total of 9 dedicated Punta Gorda Lions Club members, led by Lions Bill and Pat Favero, put in 79 volunteer hours conducting the screenings
during September, 2013, through March, 2014.
The mission of the ELCFH is to support families and children in accessing high quality early care and education services via School Readiness and Voluntary Pre-kindergarten programs. The ELCFH also serves as a point of access to resources and referrals for health care and family support services.