All families receiving Child Care Resource and Referral services will be contacted to complete a voluntary survey to gauge your customer service experience with our office. All responses are anonymous and confidential and will not affect your services.
The offices of the Early Learning of Escambia County will be closed in observance the Thanksgiving Holiday from Wednesday, 27 November 2024, through Friday, November 29, 2024. We will be open for business on Monday, December 2, 2024.
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How to find the Coalition
Our Address is: 1720 West Fairfield Dr., Suite 100/400, Pensacola FL 32501
This is a multi-story tower building at the south end of Town and Country Plaza.
The main entrance for clients, vendors, providers, and other visitors is on the West end of the Tower Building. Please enter through the double doors on the west side facing Pace Blvd (The side closest to What-a-Burger). If you find yourself in the lobby, please exit and circle around to the West end.
Our administrative offices and training facility are on the fourth floor. Visitors will need an escort to gain access to this level. You will not be able to take the elevator to the fourth floor without an escort.
(We recommend if you are searching for our location, please use this address and not our company name, as most map programs and apps still associate our company name with the old location we moved from over six years ago.)
The Coalition’s hours of operation are as follows:
Monday - Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Friday 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Phone: (850) 595-5400 | Fax: (850) 466-3783
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For specific types of services please contact us by phone or email as follows:
School Readiness/VPK clients please contact:
Call 850-332-6775 or email sreligibility@elcescambia.org
Parents/guardians with questions or seeking child care:
Call 850-595-5915 or email ccrr@elcescambia.org
Providers and others with questions or business needs:
Call 850-595-5400 or askelc@elcescambia.org
Fax: (850) 466-3783
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What's Happening: News of Interest and Updates:
The SR PLUS Program is Now Available
The new State of Florida SR Plus program went into effect on September 24, 2024. This program is designed to ease the transition of parents whose children are currently enrolled in the School Readiness Program whose incomes have exceeded the upper income level of 85% State Median Income (SMI). Now parents can continue to receive subsidized care until they reach 100% of SMI, albeit with high parent co-payments. Parents need not do anything to be entered into this program. At redetermination if a family income exceeds 85% SMI, Coalition staff will inform parents and discuss the option of remaining in care until they reach 100% SMI.
If you have questions contact the Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County Child Care Resource and Referral office at ccrr@elcescambia.org or 850-595-5915.
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School Readiness Match Program
The Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County now has the authority to serve a new category of families and children using a combination of local funding and State matching funds. The qualification requirements for the School Readiness Program still exist, except families can now initially earn between 150% of FPL and 85% of SMI and be eligible for services.
La Coalición de Educación Temprana del Condado de Escambia ahora tiene la autoridad de servir a una nueva categoria de familias y niños usando una combinación de fondos locales y Estatales. Los requisitos para qualificar para el Programa de Preparación Escolar aún , excepto que las familias ahora pueden inicialmente ganar entre 150% del (FPL) Nivel de pobreza federal y el 85% del (SMI) Ingreso medio estatal y ser elegibles para los servicios.
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Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program
Do you have a four-year-old eligible for Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten or if you are ready now to make an application for VPK click on the link below.
VPK Online Application, Click Here
For questions regarding our Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program (VPK), please contact our VPK Eligibility Coordinator at 850-607-8556 or email at vpkeligibility@elcescambia.org.
Our on-site VPK walk-in hours are from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Thursday, and 7:30 am to 11:00 am on Friday.
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School Readiness Program
Are you interested in applying for child care? Then please visit our Parent Resource page, or if you are ready now to make an application for services click on the link below.
School Readiness Program Application, Click here
For questions regarding Child Care services, please contact our Eligibility Department's Front Desk at 850-332-6775 or sreligibility@elcescambia.org
If you are looking for information regarding child care providers in Escambia County please contact us at 850-595-5915 or by email at CCRR@elcescambia.org. We offer Child Care Resource and Referral services from 7:30 am to 5 pm Monday through Thursday, and 7:30 am to 11:30 am Friday. As an alternative, we invite you to download the Provider Listing and Resource Request Form, fill it out, and send it back to us using one of the provided methods on the form for assistance without having to visit our offices during regular business hours.
For all other business please contact our Main Office at 850-595-5400.
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Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County Mission Statement
To identify and meet the needs of children and families to lay the foundation for lifetime success by: maximizing each child’s potential, preparing children to enter school ready to learn, and helping families achieve economic self-sufficiency.
To support this mission, the Coalition upholds these values:
- Early learning programs shall prepare children for success in school.
- Early learning programs shall involve parents as their child’s first teacher and support family skill building,
- Early learning programs shall be an integrated and seamless system of services and shall be implemented by the local coalition working with partnering agencies and programs.
- Early learning programs shall be coordinated and public funding integrated to achieve effectiveness and efficiency.
- Early learning programs shall be supported in their efforts to expand professional development and promote program quality.
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Provider Portal: All providers are now required to register and maintain their information in the new State Data System. The Provider Portal is your link to this new system. This is your place to keep your business data current, submit your attendance information for payment, and other features yet to come. To access this system use the link below.
Attendance Days: The Coalition will accept Reimbursement Packages for the prior month on the first three business days of each month. Service hours for processing and submitting packages are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. when the days are on Monday to Thursday, and 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. if one of the three business days occurs on a Friday. The Coalition encourages all Providers to submit their documentation by email or fax, however, if necessary, Providers can scan their paperwork in the Provider/Parent Resource Area in the Coalition Lobby, or the documents can be faxed. Providers are required to submit copies of their sign-in/sign-out sheets and supporting documentation, such as extraordinary absence forms, each month. A paper copy of the attendance sheet is required.
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Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County - Public Records Requests
It is the policy of the Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County to comply with Florida’s public records law and state retention schedules for public records, including electronic mail (e-mail). Florida’s public records law, listed in Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, states: “It is the policy of this state that all state, county, and municipal records are open for personal inspection and copying by any person. Providing access to public records is a duty of each agency.”
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Report All Suspected Fraud.
Procedure for Requesting Records: The full Coalition policy for public records, Request for Public Records Policy and Procedure, ELCEC 1401.1C, is available in our Administrative Office. Please make your request in writing by completing the Public Records Request Form, ELCEC 1401.3A, which can be found at this link. All public records requests must be provided to the Executive Assistant of the Coalition who is also the Records Custodian. Per Chapter 119, F.S., the Coalition has up to five (5) business days to complete the public records request. Public records which are exempt from the provisions of section 119.07(1), F.S. will be available only as specified by applicable state and federal laws and rules.
Public records will be available for inspection or copying during reasonable times and under reasonable conditions between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. on Friday, excluding published Coalition holidays.
The Coalition has the right to request a deposit of the estimated fees before processing begins. The five (5) day completion timeframe will begin once the deposit is received.
To submit a Public Records Request, please either contact the Records Custodian listed directly, or complete the Public Records Request Form, ELCEC 1401.3A and forward it by email, fax or regular mail to the Records Custodian who will process the request per our policy and procedures.
Records Request Contact: Bruce Watson, Records Custodian
Email: bwatson@elcescambia.org
Phone: 850-595-5400
Fax: 850-466-3783
Address: 1720 West Fairfield Dr., Suite 100/400, Pensacola FL 32501