Pinellas County

November 2025

EARLY LEARNING DIGEST

No Waitlist: SR Funding available

The Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County currently has School Readiness
Scholarships funding available to help qualifying families pay for child care. No Waitlist!

If you know families who could benefit from financial assistance, please Share our Flyer below or encourage them to apply today at elcpinellas.org. Our team is ready to help families determine eligibility and get connected to support as quickly as possible.

Download SR Flyer for Parents

Contracts

VPK PERFORMANCE METRICS - SUMMER VPK

Congratulations to our Summer VPK Providers! The Performance Metric
designations for Summer VPK were released, and Pinellas County Providers
Met and Exceeded Expectations. Well Done!

VPK FAST TESTING – PM 1

For all our VPK Providers who started with the District on August 11th, we have completed Progress Monitoring Testing Window 1. We are now connecting with providers whose programs show less than 100% completion, so we can verify report accuracy.

While the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas (ELCP) sends reminders about testing window deadlines, please note that the ultimate responsibility for ensuring all children are tested within the window lies with the provider.

One of the issues observed with this last testing window was the inability of providers to test children who enrolled the day before or on the last day of the testing window. 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. Obviously, testing a child on their first or second day of enrollment is not best practice. There is often a delay in the transmission of enrollment information from the portal to the Renaissance testing platform. If children are not visible in the Renaissance window for testing, please get in touch with us at contracts@elcpinellas.org so we can advise you on your next steps.

Contract Help Desk – Last Wednesday of the Month: 1 pm

Join the Meeting: CLICK HERE

Month	Topic
January	PM 2 – Calculating Your Testing Window/Testing Exemptions
February	Provider Profiles – APU/CoC Survey
March	VPK targeted instruction based on PM 2 Results (Renaissance Reports)
April	SR Contract Timelines & Processes/Common Issues
May	VPK Applications & Contracts; Timelines and Processes

Contract Questions?

You are always welcome to contact your Contract Specialist directly. However, if you have a general question and wish to send it to our contracts@elcpinellas.org inbox, we’ll be happy
to answer your question. Your Contract Specialists spend a good deal of time in the field,
so if you have a pressing issue, try our email address.

Celebrating Our Quest CDA Graduates

The Quest CDA Program empowers early childhood educators to earn their
National CDA Credential by deepening their understanding of child development and mastering the CDA Competency Standards. Throughout the program, participants
dedicate themselves to becoming qualified professionals who can confidently
apply best practices in early learning environments.

We proudly congratulate all the outstanding educators who have worked diligently to
achieve this milestone. Your commitment to excellence in early childhood education is inspiring, and your success reflects your passion for nurturing young minds.

Quest CDA Participants Awarded CDA Credential: Quest CDA Graduates 2025

Interested in earning a National CDA? A new cohort is starting in January and we'd love for you to join us! Simply fill out the Interest Survey and a Quest representative will follow up shortly. You'll love being part of the Quest Family!

Quality Services: Classy Conversations

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

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.

CLICK HERE FOR NOVEMBER EDITION

Early Intervention Services Spotlight
Conscious Discipline SpotlightConscious Discipline

Behavior Buzz

FREE E-Course Training Opportunity:

There’s still one month left to take advantage of this training opportunity! ELCP’s Early Intervention Dept is offering the Conscious Discipline E-Course “Powers of Resilience” to all individuals working at SR or VPK Contracted programs UNTIL DECEMBER 1, 2025.

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.

To register, please submit the following to mcalifano@elcpinellas.org:

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 correspondence)

Any questions can be directed to MaryGrace at mcalifano@elcpinellas.org.

If you’re a Family Child Care Home provider and have questions regarding behavior, need resources related to behavior management, or want to chat with a Behavior Specialist to get tips or support about Challenging behavior? Then we’ve got the support for you!

Every Tuesday between 1 pm and 2 pm, MaryGrace (Supervisor of Behavioral Interventions) will host BIG Time on Zoom. Each week, she will log on and be available to provide guidance and support related to Behavior Management and Social-Emotional Learning.

Please see the link below to join the Zoom meeting on Tuesdays from 1 pm to 2 pm
(the same link will be used each Tuesday).

BIG Time Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85848792581

Have the Children in Your Care Received a FREE Developmental Screening?

As a child care provider, you play a vital role in the early development of the children
you care for. Did you know that 1 in 4 children in the U.S. are at risk for developmental, behavioral, or social delays? Early identification is key — and
developmental screenings are a powerful tool to help children thrive.

What Is a Developmental Screening?

A developmental screening is a quick, easy tool used to check how a child is growing and learning. It helps identify both strengths and areas where a child may need extra support.

Screenings assess key areas of development, including:

Gross motor skills: running, jumping, climbing
Fine motor skills: drawing, cutting, stacking
Social and emotional development: communication, interactions, and behavior

As a provider, you may notice signs of delay before anyone else. Screenings give families a clearer picture of their child’s progress and help guide them toward helpful resources.

Why Screenings Matter

Fewer than 30% of developmental delays are identified by the time a child enters kindergarten. That’s why early screenings are so important — they allow for
timely support when it can make the biggest impact.

Children who receive early intervention are more likely to succeed
in school and beyond. Screenings also connect families to community services
that promote healthy development and learning.

How You Can Help

You can be a champion for the children in your care by:

Encouraging families to get their child screened
Sharing information about free screening opportunities
Partnering with Help Me Grow Pinellas to support families

A developmental screening is a small step that can lead to big outcomes.

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.

Trainings are available for Providers.

Select here to find a listing of new trainings.

Sponsored by the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County, Inc. and the State of Florida, Division of Early Learning,
and the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County.