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Letter from FHSA President & Executive Director With less than a week left in Florida's 2018 regularly scheduled legislative session, Legislators will buzzing around the Capitol trying to wrap up this session and move bills as they enter final committees and onto the floor. The recent tragic shooting in Parkland, Florida at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shook up this years session with hundreds of students coming to the Captiol raising gun control issues along with school safety and mental health services in our state. Legistlators quickly sprung into action and announced SB 7026 and HB 7101. Both bills contain provisions relating to age restrictions and waiting periods for firearm purchases, and seeks funding for mental health treatment in schools. These bills are not identical and there is still a lot of work to be done before Legislators "drop the hanky" Friday on Sine Die. Check out all the other bills we are tracking this Legisaltive session below in Legislative Activites at the State Level. (Photo below from right, Nacole Guyton, Florida HSSCO Director, LaTanya Winn-Hall,FHSA Region IV Rep. Myra Ingram, Exective Director, RIVHSA, Matti Friedt FHSA Region IV Rep., Nanette Phillips, President, RIVHSA, Christine Samuels, FHSA Region IV Rep., Louis Finney, President, FHSA, and Wanda MInick, Executive Director, FHSA)
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Region IV Head Start Association (RIVHSA), held their quarterly board meeting in Miami, Florida March 1-2. FHSA Region IV representatives attend along with our Florida Head Start Collaboration Director, Nacole Guyton, FHSA President, Louis Finney and Executive Director, Wanda Minick.
During this meeting we learned from other states about advocacy related issues and received an NHSA update from RIVHSA President, Nanette Phillips regarding President Trump FY 2018 budget regarding the allocation of $650 million for Head Start for construction and related costs for Head Start centers damaged by the hurricanes or wildfires, and related services for children and families. More updates from NHSA can be found in below under News from the National Level. Don't forget, April 16-19 is FHSA 2018 Annual Conference & Expo. We look forward to seeing you all there. We have a variety of exceptional professional development opportunties being offered for all staff and parents. Check out them out by visiting our website. We encourage you to register, if you have not already. Deadline to register is April 2. In partnership,
Louis A. Finney, Jr. Wanda Minick
FHSA President FHSA Executive Director
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| The National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance (ECQA Center) announces their new series of fact sheets about the state of quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS) in the United States. Data for these fact sheets were compiled from the QRIS Compendium, a catalog of the QRIS programs operating in the United States as of October 31, 2016. Most fact sheets include state stories of QRIS implementation to highlight the topics. Visit this link to access all the fact sheets.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting applications for up to $52 million in grants under its Treatment for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness program. The money will be used to help local service providers offer behavioral health and recovery support services to people experiencing homelessness. Applicants must comply with E.O. 12372 if their state(s) participates. Click to view details.
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| Creating Connections | Enhancing Lives is happening and you should be there! Back at the newly renovated DoubleTree by Hilton at the Entrance of Unviversal Orlando April 16-19. FHSA has an exciting line up of keynote speakers as well as our educational sessions. New items get added daily, so make sure you visit our website often to stay up-to-date. This year's keynote speaker Ronald D. Herndon is the Director of Albina Head Start in Portland, Oregon.a long-time community leader and activist in Portland and nationally. He has been the director of the Portland-based Albina Head Start since 1975, and his background includes more than four decades of advocacy efforts on behalf of low-income families and young children, and Portland’s black community. Having served as chairman of the board for the National Head Start Association for 20 years, from 1993 to 2013, Herndon offers a unique historical perspective on early childhood in Portland and nationally. Today, his Head Start and Early Head Start programs serve more than 1,000 children in 33 classrooms at 25 locations in North, Northeast, and Southeast Portland. And he has recently pioneered a Mandarin language program, the first of its kind for a Head Start program in the US. In this interview, Ron talks about the history of Head Start, his vision for the future, and what we must do better for our children and families.
REGISTER TODAY!
Registration rates are valid now through April 2, 2018.
Member Rate: $350/per person Non-Member Rate: $450/per person
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Hotel Information
FHSA room block is almost sold out. Rooms are available first-come, first-serve. Reservations made after the Thursday, March 15, 2018 deadline or after the room block is at capacity are not eligible for the discounted group rate.
Group Discounted Rate from: $121 /per night++
Standard Rooms 2 Queen Beds; Non-Smoking
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando
5780 Major Blvd. | Orlando, Florida 32819
Tel: +1-407-351-1000
Fax: +1-407-363-0106
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FHSA Thanks Our 2018 Corporate Partners & Confernece Sponsors Gold Level
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Want to be featured here? FHSA Still Has Promotional Opportunities Available. Consider becoming a Corporate Partner and Conference Sponsor. By supporting FHSA through our annual Corporate Partners program or through sponsorships at our annual conference or through other FHSA events, you are helping us provide the essential training programs necessary to help Florida grantees and delegates operating Head Start facilities. You are also helping support the association operations to continue our mission "To enhance and support the capability of local Head Start programs in the delivery of high quality services for our children and families". Click here to learn more about these opportunities. We also have conference program advertising still available. Deadline has been extended to March 12. Check it out.
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News from the National Level
On February 9, Congress passed a bipartisan spending bill that reauthorized 5 years of funding for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV). The decision to reauthorize MIECHV arrived on the heels of the National Home Visiting Resource Center latest publication, the Data Supplement to the 2017 Home Visiting Yearbook. They have updated the supplement (and added a separate summary document) to include the recent change to MIECHV’s status. NHSA developed a one-pager on the Opioid Epidemic plaguing our nation which is being used during their talks with congress about this disease and how it is affecting babies being born in the United States addicted to opioids. NHSA is asking congress for a $100 million investment supplement resources for 8,000 children in existing Head Start programs by building program capacity, enhancing training for all staff, and strengthening support services. You may download the document by clicking here. On February 14, the Office of Head Start (OHS) withdrew the request for comments published in the Federal Register on December 8, 2017 (CLASS Condition of the Head Start Designation Renewal System), while simultaneously issuing a new request for comment. The Head Start Designation Renewal System Improvements request for comments contains information OHS inadvertently omitted from the original publication asking the public to consider what changes OHS can make to incentivize robust competition and to facilitate orderly transitions between grantees when an incumbent does not regain its grant after competition, as well as any other administrative changes that do not require regulatory action. NHSA states most of the feedback previously gathered from the Head Start community can still be applied to the newly issued call for comments and released a new survey to solicit additional feedback on the new focus areas identified by OHS. NHSA will share feedback from survey in early March 2018. This submission of comments is the first step to a formal Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) which can offer the Head Start community future changes for input. Stay tuned for updates from NHSA as the rulemaking process continues.
NHSA continues to work on behalf of Head Start by being an influencer on the Administration for Children and Families' Office of Planning Research, and Evaluation on improving research and coaching practices in early childhood education. ACF is launching the Study of Coaching Practices in Early Care and Education (SCOPE) and NHSA has submitted public comments. To read NHSA public comments, click here.
Don't forget: NHSA 45th Annual Conference is April 23 - 27, 2018 in Anaheim, CA. Registration is open. Click to register.
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Have you joined FHSA Head Start / Early Head Start peer to peer network FHSA created these peer to peer networks on the MyPeers platform to provide linkage for Head Start and Early Head directors, staff, teachers, family service workers to share best practices, resources and to learn from your peers. How to join! If you are not already a member of MyPeers, you will need to register first. If you are a member of MyPeers, find the Florida Head Start and/or Early Head community under "All Communities" and select the blue "Join" button.
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| Have you heard about the 16 by 16 series? The FIRST WORDS® Project is a longitudinal research investigation in the Florida State University Autism Institute with a goal to identify early signs of developmental language disorders, autism spectrum disorder, and other communication delays in children from 9 to 24 months of age. Children should have 16 gestures by 16 months and this series helps parents to recognize these integral gestures To access this free resource click here.
Click here to read and or subscribe to Florida Head Start State Collaboration Office Quarterly Newsletter.
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SB 1254 by Sen. Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples) and its House companion HB 1091 by Rep. Erin Grall (R-Vero Beach) seek to reinforce and strengthen accountability measures in the publicly funded School Readiness program. The bills also restore local flexibility in determining eligibility so that early learning coalitions can prioritize children at greatest risk of school failure within communities. HB 1091 passed the full House on March 1st. SB 1254 was reported favorably by the Appropriations Committee, its last committee of reference, on March 2nd.
SB 1532, by Sen. Kelli Stargel (R-Lakeland) and its House companion, HB 1175 by Rep. Jennifer Sullivan (R-Eustis) authorize an early learning coalition to terminate a contract with School Readiness program providers for a Class I Health and Safety Violation. SB 1532 was passed by the Appropriations Committee on March 2nd and placed on the calendar on 2nd reading. HB 1175 was passed by the House in February and received by the Senate.
SB 138 by Sen. Lauren Book (D-Plantation) and HB 937 by Rep. Jeanette Nunez (R-Miami) create the "Florida Families First Act" and would require the Department of Health to create public service announcements to educate the public on perinatal mental health care, as well as revise components that are included in the postpartum evaluation and follow-up care provided by birth centers to include a mental health screening and the provision of certain information on postpartum depression. SB 138 was reported favorably by the Appropriations Committee on February 27th. HB 937 passed the full House on March 1st and now heads to the Senate.
SB 508 by Sen. Darryl Rouson (D-St. Petersburg) and the House companion HB 751 by Rep. Dane Eagle (R-Cape Coral) require CareerSource Florida, Inc., to submit, in a detailed annual report, certain information on individuals subject to mandatory work requirements who receive temporary cash or food assistance. The bill requires the Department of Economic Opportunity to work with program participants in developing strategies to overcome obstacles to compliance with work activity requirements and creates the TANF Reemployment Pilot Program in Pinellas County. SB 508 is awaiting action in the Commerce and Tourism Committee, its second of four committees of reference. HB 751 passed favorably in the full House on March 1st and now heads to the Senate.
SB 1160 by Sen. Greg Steube (R-Sarasota) and the House companion, CS/HB 693 by Rep. Frank White (R-Pensacola) authorize changes to public assistance policy and federal food assistance waivers to conform to federal law & simplify administration. The bills require DCF to impose resource limit for households receiving food assistance, subject to federal approval and requires CareerSource Florida, Inc., to contract with a vendor to develop a pilot program to increase employment for persons receiving temporary cash assistance. SB 1160 has been referred to four committees and has yet to be considered. CS/HB 693 passed favorably in the full House on March 1st and now heads to the Senate.
SB 1788 by Sen. Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples) and the House companion, HB 1373 by Rep. Cyndi Stevenson (R-St. Augustine) prohibit the Agency for Persons with Disabilities from issuing a license to a new comprehensive transitional education program and prohibit the agency from renewing the license of an existing comprehensive transitional education program after December 31, 2020. SB 1788 is awaiting action by the full Senate. HB 1373 passed the full House on March 1st and now heads to the Senate.
Sources: United Way’s Legislative Link, and The Florida Children’s Council’s Capitol Connection.
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What's Happening Around the State
Le Jardin Early Learning Academy visited Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science.
For the past several years, Le Jardin has participated in the Frost Museum’s Early Childhood Hands- On Science (ECHOS) program.
As part of the program Le Jardin children attend the museum. The newly opened museum offers inquiry-based science activities and hands-on experiences.
The ECHOS curriculum focuses on a different science concept each month. Check out all the great things they are doing by viewing their newsletter.
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In 1966 the Episcopal Diocese in Jacksonville opened a small child-care center in Springfield for children of low-income, inner-city mothers.
That first day, 16 children were enrolled.
Fifty-two years later, that one center has evolved into Episcopal Children’s Services, which serves about 59,000 children and their families in 14 counties through Voluntary Prekindergarten, Head Start, Early Head Start, subsidized child care and child-care referral programs, as well as professional development training for early childhood educators. Along the way, the nonprofit has become a leader in the early learning field.
“I always loved what Episcopal Children’s Services stood for — quality child care. We preached high-quality early learning,” said CEO Connie Stophel, who has worked there off and on since the early 1980s. “It was never about just putting your child in day care.” Click to read the article in its entirety. (Source: Florida Times -Union, Featured February 11, 2018)
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| 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 April 6, 2018. All proposals will be reviewed by the Planning Committee and the primary presenter noted on the proposal will be notified of acceptance or non-acceptance of the proposal. While multiple proposals are encouraged, we will only select one or, space allowing, a maximum of two. To learn more about this event, please visit their website.
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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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| | Don't forget... Follow FHSA on Twitter and Like us on Facebook!
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To enhance and support the capability of local Head Start programs
in the delivery of high quality services for our children and families.
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