EARLY LEARNING DIGEST

Office Closure Notice: Independence Day

In observance of Independence Day, the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County
offices will be closed from July 2 through July 6, 2026. We will resume
normal business hours on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.

Reminder: July 4 Attendance Submission Deadline

Please remember that the deadline to submit June attendance
and all required supporting documentation for both School Readiness (SR)
and Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) is July 4, 2026.

To ensure timely reimbursement, all attendance and documentation must be
submitted by the deadline. Submissions received after July 4 may not be processed
in time for the July reimbursement payment cycle.

Thank you for your attention to this important deadline.

Reimbursement Team Caseload Assignment

We’ve updated our caseload assignments. Please review the changes to
ensure you are contacting the appropriate Reimbursement Specialist,
Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Welcome to the 2026-2027 Program Year

Thank you to all providers who completed their APU, Contract Orientation,
and submitted their School Readiness (SR) contracts on time.

We are still processing VPK applications and contracts. Please remember that all VPK program locations must have at least one staff member who has completed FAST Administrator Training and uploaded all required documentation to the document library. If you have questions, please contact your VPK Contract Specialist.

To ensure your VPK contract is in place and ready for reimbursement by the first day of school, all required materials must be submitted by July 15 to allow time for processing and certification.

For providers who have participated in VPK for the past five years, please be reminded that the Emergent Literacy Rule requires completion of additional coursework every five years. Some providers will need to complete this additional five hours during this program year if not already completed. Please verify your expiration date and ensure all documentation is completed and uploaded in the application prior to the expiration date. Your DCF transcript should reflect this requirement. This applies to lead teachers only.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

The Contract Team offers Help Desk sessions and support on the last Wednesday of each month. We encourage you to join if you need assistance with contract-related matters. We are happy to answer general questions related to contracts, provider profiles, or monitoring visits. Please use the link below to join at 1 PM.

Contract Help Desk - Last Wednesday of the Month: 1:00 PM
Join the meeting: Click here to join

You are always welcome to contact your Contract Specialist directly. For general questions, please email us at contracts@elcpinellas.org. Because Contract Specialists spend a significant amount of time in the field, the shared inbox is the best option
for urgent or general inquiries.

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.

Behavior Buzz  

Offering outdoor play and exploration each day is essential for children, as it provides important benefits for their health, development, and behavior. Spending time outside encourages children to be active, supporting gross motor development, coordination, and social-emotional skills. Outdoor play also provides opportunities for problem-solving, creativity, social interaction, and exploration.

These benefits extend beyond the time spent outdoors. Allowing children time to run and play outside helps them regulate energy, reduce stress, improve focus, and promote positive behavior in the classroom. Whether they are running, climbing, digging, or engaging in dramatic play, children build valuable skills while enjoying the freedom and fresh air of outdoor play.

The collage of photos above features examples from some of our School Readiness (SR) programs: (top left) playground at Largo Country School; (top right) outdoor safe space at Brilliant Little Minds; (bottom left) gardening at Sweet Peas Preschool & Elementary; and (middle and bottom right) mud kitchen at Promiseland Preschool.

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. 

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