Newsletter                               April  2018
Letter from FHSA President & Executive Director 
Happy Spring! As the season is in full bloom so is FHSA plans for its 2018 Annual Conference & Expo, Creating Connections | Enhancing Lives.   We hope you decided to attend our yearly educational opportunity boasting inspiring, educational and innovative keynotes, offering 42 educational technical and interactive sessions in 6 tracks focusing on Education/Child Development, School Readiness/Curriculum Development, Health & Wellness, Family/Community Engagement, Management & Leadership and a special track with Region IV OHS T/TA training. To download a copy of the conference program, click on the image below. Only a few seats remain, registration closes tomorrow. Click to register.
FHSA 2018 Annual Confernece & Expo Program
Click on image to download a copy of FHSA 2018 Conference Program
Help direct the future of FHSA by participating in our annual FHSA Affiliate Meetings for Directors, Staff, Friends and Parents. These meeting will be conducted Monday, April 16 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
During the meetings, groups will select representatives to serve on the FHSA Board of Directors as well as the Region IV Head Start Association board. These critical positions move our association forward and your participation is imperative for us to continue being the statewide voice for Head Start. 
You may have noticed blue and silver pinwheel gardens popping up in your local communities. That's because April is child abuse prevention month. The “Pinwheels for Prevention Campaign” reminds us of our on-going responsibility to ensure that every child has the equal opportunity for healthy growth and development and a great childhood. Programs and strategies like home visiting, parent education, support groups, mental health services for new mothers, sexual abuse prevention, expanding the availability of affordable daycare programming, and substance abuse treatment all play a role in the prevention of child abuse and neglect. As we observe Child Abuse Prevention Month, we hope you’ll increase awareness at your programs and visit preventchildabuse.org to find ways on how you can help create #GreatChildhoods. 
On March 23, President Trump signed into law the FY 2018 omnibus spending bill that included a $610 million increase above FY2017 for Head Start and $2.37 billion above FY 2017 for Child Care and Development Block Grant program, putting CCDBG at its highest funding level in history. The First Five Years Fund has a great chart outlining early childhood education funding levels passed by congress in this bill, Click to view.
In partnership, 
Louis A. Finney, Jr.        Wanda Minick 
FHSA President               FHSA Executive Director 
Office of Head Start
Comment Period Closes Tomorrow to Provide Feedback on Proposed Changes to the PIR
The Office of Head Start (OHS) invited public comment on several major proposed changes to the Head Start Program Information Report (PIR). The comment period ends tomorrow, Friday, April 6, 2018. These proposed changes will better align with the comprehensive revision of the Head Start Program Performance Standards, reduce reporting burden, and improve the data collection. Major changes include proposals to remove, add, and significantly update PIR questions. The changes are proposed to go into effect for the 2019–2020 PIR collection.  

Click here to view a summary of proposed changes. The Summary includes instructions for providing your comments to OHS. 
FHSA 2018 Conference & Expo logo
FHSA Thanks Our 2018 Corporate Partners
& Confernece Sponsors
Gold Level
Discount School Supply Logo Teaching Strategies Kaplan Early Learning Company
Silver Level 
Lakeshore Logo Nemours Logo shine early learning logo
Conference Sponsors
E-Therapy Florida Head Start State Collaboration Office Frogstreet
Kodo Kids Logo learning genie Staywell
News from the National Level
NHSA will hosts its 45th Annual Conference & Expo April 23-27, 2018 in Anaheim, CA. Registration is open. Click to view conference rates.
Join executive directors, directors, administrators, managers, teachers, policy council members, parents, and partners from across the country to discuss the latest developments, innovations, and obstacles in early learning and to explore ideas for turning challenges into opportunities.
Salman Khan, founder and CEO of the Khan Academy, will provide this year's keynote address, "Democratizing Access to World-Class Early Learning." Sal will speak about how his global nonprofit is working to provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. He will focus on Khan Academy's approach to early learning. Want to get a feel for what you can expect from this keynote address? Watch Sal Khan’s Ted Talk on teaching for mastery - not test scores.

Head Start Welcomes Boost in Federal Funding

March 22, 2018

Bipartisan Agreement Includes $610 Million Increase for FY 2018

WASHINGTON, DC – The Head Start community welcomed a significant increase in federal funding when a bipartisan funding agreement for fiscal year 2018 was released last night by Congressional leadership.
WASHINGTON, DC – The National Head Start Association’s Executive Director, Yasmina Vinci, commented on the legacy created by Dr. T. Berry Brazelton in advancing the field of early childhood development. Dr. Brazelton passed away on Tuesday at the age of 99.

The Florida Legislature adjourned sine die on Sunday March 11, after extending the 2018 session for two days to complete the 2018-2019 state budget. Governor Scott signed the record budget of $88.7 million which includes $400 million for school safety expenditures, $130 million increase for Medicaid nursing homes, funding for United Way priorities including Health Families Florida, Healthy Start, TEACH, Help Me Grow and the School Readiness program, and increases for home and community care for seniors. The budget also accommodates a $171 million tax cut package HB 7087 passed by the legislature and requires counties to reduce some local property taxes, resulting in an additional $377 million cut to the state budget. 
Governor Scott also signed into law HB 1091, sponsored by Rep. Erin Grall and Sen. Kathleen Passidomoa. This bill begins the process of establishing standards and promoting quality in Florida’s early learning system adding accountability requirements to increase the quality of state-funded childcare ("School Readiness") programs. HB 1365 requiring the Office of Early Learning to adopt observation-based child assessment system, was rolled into HB 1091. 

HB 1175 sponsored by Rep. Sullivan authorizing Early learning Coalitions to refuse to contract with or revoke eligibility of certain school readiness providers was withdrawn however text was included in HB 7055

HB 937 passed addressing post-partum depression and promoting perinatal mental health while bills that would have increased oral health care access for Florida's children failed. 
 
To view a comprehensive list of all bills that passed this legislative session click here.

What's Happening Around the State

Onome Ayemhenre
FHSA would like to congratulate Onome Ayemhenre, a parent with Lutheran Services Florida Duval Head Start and Early Head Start Program for being the receipient of NHSA Ron Herndon Head Start Parent Scholarship for 2018.
Onome is an aspiring pediatric nurse, a wife and mother of five children who some how still finds the time to volunteer across many locations within her community.  She also volunteers in her children’s classroom at New Life Head Start where she helps children during art activities, mealtimes, and assists during storytime.  Onome will be honored during NHSA scholarship and awards banquet at their annual conference later this month.   Congratulations Onome!
Miami-Dade County, Community Action and Human Services will host "Calling All Men: Stand Against Violence" Wednesday, April 11, 2018 at the University of Miami, Donna E. Shalala Student Center.  This free event will bring 300 men from different walks of life to increase awareness and celebrate the significant role that men can play in developing and promoting healthy and respectful manhood. T
This conference will address the importance of having healthy and respectful relationships and will bring awareness about harmful cultural and social norms that promote violence against women and girls, bullying and homophobia. It will present strategies to transform our communities, value life, treat people equally and promote the betterment of humanity with the paramount goal of reducing violence and building a healthier Miami Dade County. The founder of CALL TO MEN and internationally known keynote speaker, Tony Porter, will be joined by former Miami Dolphins NFL players Dwight Hollier and Troy Drayton. Complimentary breakfast and lunch will be provide to all participants. Click here to register!
FHSA is pleased to sponsor the 2018 ONE GOAL SUMMER CONFERENCE: BUILDING THE FUTURE TOGETHER “PUTTING FAMILIES AND CHILDREN FIRST.” 
 
This year, the conference will be celebrating 32 years of bringing together early education and care providers and leaders from around the state. The conference will be held at the Hilton Tampa Downtown in Tampa, Florida, on July 18-20, 2018. The conference will include general sessions, concurrent presentations, and exhibits of appropriate materials.

Session proposal are currently being accepted. An electronic version of the Presenter Proposal Form is located on their conference web site. The deadline to submit proposals is this Friday, April 6, 2018. To learn more about this event, please visit their website.
Employment Opportunities
Head Start Teacher | Mid Florida Community Services, Inc., Daytona Beach, FL 
Division Director of Education Programs & Head Start Director | YWCA of Greater Miami - Dade, Miami, FL 
Are you hirinig? Submit your job posting to FHSA to ensure you attract the top applicants in state.  This is a free member benefit. 

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in the delivery of high quality services for our children and families.

Contact Us
Florida Head Start Association | info@FlHeadStart.org |  (850) 694-6477
111 N. Gadsden Street, Suite 200 | Tallahassee, FL 32301 US
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