New South County Location
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The Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County (ELC Pinellas) relocated
to a new location to allow us to provide accessible, high-quality early
learning services to families throughout the county.
New South County Office Address:
3918 42nd St. N, St. Petersburg, FL 33714
Community-Based Locations: - St. Pete Free Clinic: 863 3rd Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
- James B Sanderlin Family Center: 2335 22nd Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33712
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VPK FAST TESTING - PM 2For all our VPK Providers that started on August 11th with the District.... If you are following the district calendar and offering instruction 3 hours each day, the window for PM 2 is open for you and will close in early February. All VPK Providers are responsible for calculating their program’s testing windows. If you need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out or join us for one of our Help Desk sessions.
Remember, for PM 2, testing cannot begin until at least 40% of your instructional hours are completed, and testing must be completed before 60% of your instructional hours are complete. Children must be tested during VPK instructional hours. Testing that occurs outside of VPK hours cannot be counted. Please remember that all tests are date and time-stamped. Children tested outside of instructional hours will result in a noncompliance for testing.
ELCP sends reminders about testing window deadlines. After receiving your reminder, please double-check that all children are tested within the window. If you tested children before winter break and any children enroll after the break, they must also be tested. The state rules require testing of all children enrolled during the window, with the exceptions outlined in the VPK Program Guide to FAST Star Early Literacy. If you have any questions, please contact us at contracts@elcpinellas.org so we can assist you.
Contract Help Desk - Last Wednesday of the Month: 1 pm
Join the Meeting: HERE
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Contract Questions?
You are always welcome to contact your Contract Specialist directly, but if you have a general question, please send it to our contracts@elcpinellas.org inbox. Your Contract Specialists spend a good deal of time in the field, so if you have a pressing issue, try our email address.
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Effective January 1, 2026, all School Readiness (SR) providers must use the updated Extended Absence Form (EAF) when submitting January 2026 electronic attendance.
This form is required for children funded through SR, LOCAL JWB SR PLUS, and DEL SR PLUS programs. It does not apply to children funded through the DOE/Teen Parent Program.
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Quality Services: Classy Conversations
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Join us for CLASSy Conversations, our exciting series on the last Tuesday of each month. These live, virtual sessions foster familiarity with CLASS for new staff and ensure seasoned members stay sharp to avoid CLASS drift LEARN MORE HERE
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Welcome to this month's edition of "CLASSy Accreditation Corner." We are excited to
share some simple yet effective strategies for enhancing classroom quality, boosting
CLASS scores, and positively impacting child outcomes.
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Early Intervention Services Spotlight
Conscious Discipline SpotlightConscious Discipline
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Early Intervention Services is excited to kick off 2026 with a BRAND NEW e-course from Conscious Discipline! We will be offering “Responding to Anger & Rage” (at no cost) to individuals working in our School-Readiness and VPK contracted programs. This e-course comprises over nine hours of video content and a 70-page workbook.
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Responding to Anger & Rage e-course description: Intense emotions require an equally intense focus on healing. Gain a better understanding of rage and anger’s differences, origins, and impact, and explore solutions for managing yourself, de-escalating intense situations, and facilitating recovery and healing for all involved.
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Due to limited space, those who sign up to take the course will have 30 days from the date of registration to complete and submit their certificate of completion to mcalifano@elcpinellas.org. If the course is not completed within the 30-day time frame, the individual will be removed from the course to make room for the next participant.
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To register, please submit the following to Program Supervisor MaryGrace
Califano at mcalifano@elcpinellas.org including contents below:
- First and last name
- School-Readiness contracted or VPK contracted program you are employed at
- Email address (where you will receive the e-course invitation and correspondences)
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Reconnecting after a break!
After a long break, it’s likely that children and adults may forget some of the routines that make the school day go smoothly.
To help with the transition of your classroom back to school after an extended break, it may be beneficial to reteach or remind children of the schedules, expectations, and routines. Adults should expect that children will NOT remember all of these things and should intentionally plan extra supports following a break.
The longer the break, the more likely it is that children will need to be reminded of the routines and expectations. Children will also need time to reconnect with teachers and peers after time away from school. Ensure that you engage in positive interactions with all children throughout the day to support their return to school and increase the likelihood of their success.
- Re-teach schedules
- Re-teach the steps of common routines
- Provide supportive conversations
- Re-teach rules and expectations
- Provide positive descriptive feedback
- Support children in talking about their own emotions
Need more tips? Help Me Grow Pinellas is here to help! Scan QR Code below or...
On April 5th, Childcare professionals gathered at Calvary Kids Care for the Conscious Discipline training, Deep Dive into Perception and Composure. Our presenter, Nicole Mercer, discussed mindset and how perception creates our assumptions of others. Participants also explored the five steps of self-regulation and how they can incorporate Conscious Discipline's Safe Keeper Ritual into their classrooms. Here are some takeaways from the training:
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ASQ UPDATE:
Please check the Provider Portal frequently to see if you have any screenings due.
Please be aware of the required DUE DATE column. Completing the
Developmental Screenings before the due date is necessary to avoid
progressive enforcement due to noncompliance.
When a screening request is due within 15 days of the due date, it goes into a YELLOW status. Screening requests are considered past due on the due date and go into RED status. Once past due, providers will be sent to enforcement to ensure ASQ completion.
Call Anjanette at (727) 400-4452 with ASQ questions or for assistance with ASQs.
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Sponsored by the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County, Inc., the State of Florida,
and the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County.
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