Title XLVIII, Early Learning-20 Education Code

(1) For purposes of administration of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Trust Fund, pursuant to 45 C.F.R. parts 98 and 99, the department is designated as the lead agency and must comply with lead agency responsibilities pursuant to federal law. The department may apply …

The Florida Child Care Fund is established to support early learning and child care needs of Florida families.(1) A Department of Education direct-support organization established pursuant to s. 1001.24 shall administer the fund.(2)(a) Any bequests, gifts, grants, and donations m…

(1) Thirty or fewer early learning coalitions are established and shall maintain direct enhancement services at the local level and provide access to such services in all 67 counties. Two or more early learning coalitions may join for purposes of planning and implementing a schoo…

Each early learning coalition shall:(1) Administer and implement a local comprehensive program of school readiness program services in accordance with this part and the rules adopted by the department, which enhances the cognitive, social, and physical development of children to …

(1) The department shall adopt rules prescribing the standardized format and required content of school readiness program plans as necessary for a coalition or other qualified entity to administer the school readiness program as provided in this part.(2) Each early learning coali…

The education component of the school readiness program should be developmentally appropriate and based on research, involve the parent as the child’s first teacher, serve as a preventive measure for children at risk of future school failure, and enhance the educational readiness…

(1) Each early learning coalition shall give priority for participation in the school readiness program as follows:(a) Priority shall be given first to a child younger than 13 years of age from a family that includes a parent who is receiving temporary cash assistance under chapt…

(1) To be eligible to deliver the school readiness program, a school readiness program provider must:(a) Be a child care facility licensed under s. 402.305, a family child care home licensed or registered under s. 402.313, a large family child care home licensed under s. 402.3131…

(1) DETERMINATION OF EARLY LEARNING COALITION SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM FUNDING.—Funding for the school readiness program shall be used by the early learning coalitions in accordance with this part and the General Appropriations Act.(a) School readiness program allocation.—If the …

The school readiness program market rate schedule shall be implemented as follows:(1) The department shall establish procedures for the adoption of a market rate schedule. The schedule must include, at a minimum, county-by-county rates and the market rate, to include the minimum …

(1) As used in this subsection, the term “fraud” means an intentional deception, omission, or misrepresentation made by a person with knowledge that the deception, omission, or misrepresentation may result in unauthorized benefit to that person or another person, or any aiding an…

(1) As a part of the school readiness program, the department shall establish a statewide child care resource and referral network that is unbiased and provides referrals to families for child care and information on available community resources. Preference shall be given to usi…

(1) The department may authorize an early learning coalition to establish school readiness program transportation services for children at risk of abuse or neglect who are participating in the school readiness program, pursuant to chapter 427. The early learning coalitions may co…

The School Readiness Plus Program is created within the Department of Education to support the continued school readiness and child care needs of working families with children. The program is contingent upon a legislative appropriation and is provided on a first-come, first-serv…

(1)(a) There is established within the Department of Education the Gold Seal Quality Care Program.(b) A child care facility, large family child care home, or family child care home that is accredited by an accrediting association approved by the Department of Education under subs…

(1) The department may contract for the administration of the Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (TEACH) Scholarship Program, which provides educational scholarships to caregivers and administrators of early childhood programs, 1family child care homes, and large family chi…

(1) Contingent upon specific appropriation, the department shall establish a program to award collaboration grants to assist local agencies in securing Early Head Start programs through Early Head Start program federal grants. The collaboration grants shall provide the required m…

(1) The individual records of children enrolled in the school readiness program provided under this part, held by an early learning coalition or the department, are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. For purposes of this sect…

(1) The department shall:(a) Develop early learning professional learning training and course standards to be utilized for school readiness program providers.(b) Identify both formal and informal early learning career pathways with stackable credentials and certifications that al…