School Readiness
Children who enroll in school without the foundational literacy and learning skills necessary will fall behind their peers, often leading to other negative outcomes in life. Much can be done in the pre-kindergarten years, or even the months before birth to influence a child's readiness for school. The programs summarized below are all designed to help prepare children for school.
Click on the name of each program to learn more about it.
Coordinated Child Care - LIEF and Child Care Scholarships »
LIEF (Low Income Employed Families) and Child Care Scholarships ensures that low income and special needs families have the support of childcare services while they work to acquire new skills, and assures that their children, age 0-5 years old, are developmentally on target and educationally ready to begin school.
Coordinated Child Care - Special Services »
Special Services promotes the healthy development of children and families, as well as high quality childcare by eliminating negative behaviors that interfere with the child?s development and placement, and providing specialized services training and placement for preschool children who were prenatally exposed to drugs and/or alcohol
Directions - Early Childhood Consultation Services »
Early Childhood Consultation Services provides consultation, training and prevention services to parents and caregivers of children ages 0-5 who are experiencing emotional/behavioral difficulties. Activities include hands-on, in-home parenting skills training; child-specific and program-specific consultation to area preschools; and training workshops for parents, caretakers, professionals and the general public.
PARC - Discovery Learning Center and Homebound »
Discovery Learning Center and Homebound enhances the development and fosters the independence of infants, toddlers and young children who are developmentally delayed or are physically challenged. The Discovery Learning Center consists of a preschool program where children receive special instruction and therapies, both individually and within the classroom setting. The Homebound Program provides early intervention services and therapies within the child's home or in the community childcare center.
Pinellas County Health Dept. - Child Care Licensing »
Child Care Licensing inspects all licensed child care facilities at least twice per year and all licensed family child care homes at least once per year. In addition, all facilities are re-licensed annually pending their compliance with the Pinellas County licensing standards.
R'Club - HIPPY »
HIPPY stands for Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters. Parents with children three or four years old may enter the program and children may remain in the program through age five. Home visitors go to client homes once per week to teach parents lessons that they can use with their children throughout the week to build literacy skills. Children also come to recognize their parent as a teacher and develop a positive learning bond.
