I just spoke with the Office of Early Learning to get clarification regarding the governor's press conference yesterday. Based on the press conference, SR/VPK will get additional emergency closure days, allowing our programs to be fully funded IF WE CLOSE ENTIRELY.
However, if like us, you are trying to offer limited care, focusing on the children of essential personnel (healthcare workers, etc.), you will not be able to cancel just your VPK classes and still receive funding.
The Office of Early Learning is working on creating the new policies. I just sent a detailed email requesting them to allow us to operate in a limited capacity and still receive the emergency closure funding.
This is a time for all child care providers to advocate for our children, our families, and our programs.
Please consider emailing their office today:
[email protected]
Here are the bullets from my email:
Please help our program protect Florida's most vulnerable population while still serving the children of health care providers, first responders, and other positions essential during this health care crisis.
We are asking the Office of Early Learning to implement the following policy changes:
* Extend emergency closures days for VPK and SR, as stated in yesterday's press conference, with full funding for providers so that we can keep our staff members employed.
* Allow centers to have partial closures and still use those emergency closure days for VPK/SR so that we can limit group size in each classroom.
* Provide additional guidance for health and safety (such as specifics for well child checks, extra sanitation, lower group sizes to limit transmission, limiting intermingling of groups, etc.).
* Require programs to be fully licensed and to follow child care licensing guidelines for ratios / group sizes, etc,to ensure the health and safety of each child. This is not the time to loosen regulations and allow more children to be crowded into classrooms.