VPK Overview VPK Funding Rates VPK Application Workshop Schedule VPK Applications VPK Program Changes FLKRS (Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener) VPK Training Information Regarding VPK Instructor Requirements Commonly Used Forms
VPK Overview
VPK (Voluntary PreKindergarten) is designed to prepare children to be school ready upon entry to kindergarten. Offered through local private and public child care providers and administered by the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia Counties (ELCFV), this program is available to all children residing in Florida who are 4 years old on or before the first of September. Families may begin applying for VPK Certificates of Eligibility (COE) at their nearest ELCFV office beginning on March 1, 2010 for VPK Programs operating in August.
Parents or legal guardians should call the ELCFV office most convenient for them and arrange for an appointment to receive the COE. They will need to take proof of the child’s age (which could be a birth certificate or immunization record signed by a physician) and proof of residence, (which could be the parent or legal guardian’s driver’s license with the current physical address or a utility bill in the name of the person who will be signing the COE application).
The Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia has offices at the following locations.
Location |
Phone Number |
230 N. Beach Street, Daytona Beach |
(386) 323-2400 |
215 Hazen Road, Deland |
(386) 736-5010 |
800 East Howe Street, Bunnell |
(386) 437-8236 |
Provider alert! Beginning in January, you will need to be very careful when accepting Certificates of Eligibility. Sometimes parents think that receiving the COE makes them eligible to attend VPK right away. They may not realize that it is not valid for VPK Programs operating before August and seek enrollment in your currently operating program. These children are not fundable, which could put you, the provider, and the parent in an uncomfortable situation.
Please look COE’s over carefully. The program year should be written in the upper left hand corner of the certificate. You can take extra precaution by looking at the child’s birth date as show on the COE. The 2010/2011 eligible birth date range starts September 2, 2005 and ends September 1, 2006.
The ELCFV is committed to the success of your VPK Program. Inquiries regarding becoming a VPK Provider can be addressed by calling Alecia Coitrone at 386-323-2400 ext. 186. Application workshops and Department of Education VPK trainings are scheduled through the ELCFV as well as ongoing technical assistance specific to each Provider’s needs.
VPK Providers have the option of providing VPK in either or both of the following ways.
- 540 instruction hours, referred to as “School Year”
- 300 instruction hours, referred to as “Summer”
Provider/Instructor qualifications differ for the school year and summer programs. See the link “Information Regarding VPK Instructor Requirements” to gain an understanding of the differences and how you can best offer VPK.
The following section entitled Application Workshop Schedule is for both Providers seeking more information on operating VPK and for our current Providers as they re-apply to operate VPK Summer 2010 and VPK School Year 2010/2011 VPK Programs.
Please call us at (386) 323-2400 extension 186 with any questions. We want to help you offer a high quality, successful VPK program!
VPK Funding Rates
Summer 2010 Program funding rates effective July 1, 2009:
•Flagler County - $6.97 per child per hour
•Volusia County – $7.00 per child per hour
School Year 2010/2011 funding rates posted July 1, 2009
(These rates remained the same as the rates set during the Special Legislative Session that went into effect on February 1, 2009)
•Flagler County - $4.55 per child per hour
•Volusia County – $4.57 per child per hour
VPK Application Workshops
For the 2010/2011 VPK Application Workshop Schedule, click here.
VPK Applications
The following steps are a guide through the process Child Care Providers and School Districts will take to obtain approval to administer the Voluntary PreKindergarten Program.
1. Attend a VPK Application Workshop
Providers receive orientation on VPK policies and procedures, current forms and application packet.
In addition, VPK Application Workshop attendance also places the Provider’s facility name, address and telephone number on the ELCFV website as a facility that is applying to offer VPK services. This listing will be accessed by families as they research their VPK placement options.
2. Complete AWI VPK 10 and AWI VPK 11 applications
AWI VPK 10 – one per Provider location
AWI VPK 11 – one for each VPK class being requested
3. Gather the necessary supporting documentation for each application form
The VPK 10 and VPK 11 checklist guides you in identifying and accounting forthe necessary supporting documents.
4. Associate and attach documents to their respective application
5. Call (386) 323-2400 ext. 186, Alecia Coitrone, Provider Contracts Coordinator
Schedule an appointment to come to the 230 North Beach Street, Daytona office to meet and review your application packet.
6. As your application packet is reviewed, documentation that is not valid will be identified and noted. The entire unapproved packet will be returned to you. When documentation has been corrected, make another appointment to meet and review the updated application packet.
7. Upon reviewing the application packet, if all documentation is valid, your program will be approved immediately. You will be given a Statewide Provider Agreement to read and sign. You will also be given a letter from ELCFV verifying approval to deliver the VPK Program, and a VPK Tool Kit. The Tool Kit includes additional forms, a VPK Yard Sign, posters and brochures. Your VPK program will then appear on the ELCFV website on a link identifying approved providers and will show information specific to your VPK operation.
8. Once your VPK Program has been approved you may begin accepting Certificates of Eligibility from families and registering those children into your upcoming VPK Program.VPK Provider Program Changes
There are several changes that may occur in a VPK Provider Program that require follow-up with the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia (ELCFV) in order to assure a smooth transition of funding and services. Below is a brief explanation of the four most common changes.
It is the policy of the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia that the Provider must notify ELCFV a minimum of 30 days prior to changes in Name, Address, and Ownership. Due to the likelihood of changes in Director being more unplanned the ELCFV must be notified immediately as the situation arises.
VPK Provider Name Change: In this situation, the owner, director and location are remaining unchanged. The Provider has notified the ELCFV Resource and Referral Department and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and has received a new license under the new name.
For the transition of your VPK contract with the ELCFV, please access the form titled “VPK Provider Name Change” found in the Commonly Used Forms link. Follow the instructions on the form for submission to the ELCFV Provider Services Department.
VPK Provider Change of Director: The Provider owner, location and name are remaining unchanged. The change involves the replacement of one director with another. This change must first be confirmed through Department of Children and Families Licensing with the issuance of either a new or provisional license.
For the transition of your VPK contract with ELCFV, please access the form titled “VPK Provider Change of Director” found in the Commonly Used Forms link. Follow the instructions on the form for submission to the ELCFV Provider Services Department.
VPK Provider Change of Address: In this scenario, the Provider name, owner and director are remaining the same. The change is in the physical location (address) of the facility. This change must first be confirmed through Department of Children and Families Licensing with the issuance of a new license. The ELCFV Resource and Referral must be notified as well as the Reimbursement Department.
Do not move VPK funded children to the new location until the change has been approved through the ELCFV Provider Contracts Coordinator. Failure to do so causes a non-refundable lapse in funding effective from the date the children were moved, and creating the need to extend the Provider’s VPK calendar in order to fulfill the 540 instructional hour requirement.
For the transition of your VPK contract with ELCFV, please access the form titled “VPK Provider Change of Address” found in the Commonly Used Forms link. Follow the instructions on the form for submission to the ELCFV Provider Services Department.
VPK Provider Change of Ownership: The ELCFV Resource and Referral Department and Department of Children and Families must be notified when a provider is in the process of changing ownership. DCF must inspect the facility for compliance and issue a new license. When a child care facility providing VPK services changes owners, a complete VPK application packet must be submitted by the new owner. This includes AWI
VPK 10 and 11 application forms and all supporting documents. A new calendar must be created whereby the new owner will administer a full 540 instructional hours. In this situation, one provider contract will end and a new provider contract will begin. It may happen that there is a lapse of time between contracts. Please be aware, during that lapse no funding is released for enrolled VPK children. Providers changing ownership must make their enrolled VPK families aware of the change in ownership, that funding may lapse and private pay arrangements may need to be made. Additionally, the children’s Certificate of Eligibility expires at the end of the provider’s contract. A re-enrollment Certificate of Eligibility must be obtained by the parent from ELCFV in order to enroll with a different VPK Provider already operating or to enroll at the same facility with the new owner.
For a transition of your VPK contract with ELCFV, please access the form titled “VPK Provider Change of Ownership” found in the Commonly Used Forms link. Follow the instructions on the form for submission to the ELCFV Provider Services Department.
FLKRS (Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener)
The VPK Provider Kindergarten Readiness Rate measures how well a VPK provider prepares four-year-olds to be ready to learn for kindergarten based on the Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener (FLKRS).
The FLKRS is administered to children within the first 30 days of kindergarten. As required by law, the FLKRS is aligned with the Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Standards. The FLKRS includes a subset of the Early Childhood Observation System (ECHOS) and an observational instrument used to monitor the skills, knowledge, and behaviors a student demonstrates or needs to develop. It also includes a subset of the Broad Screen, a measure of early literacy skills including letter naming and phonemic awareness.
The maximum VPK Provider Kindergarten Readiness Rate possible is 200. Readiness rates are calculated for all VPK providers that served at least four (4) children who were in attendance for at least 70-percent of either the School-Year or Summer VPK program (have substantially completed the program) participated in the FLKRS kindergarten screening.
Click here for more information on the FLKRS: http://www.fldoe.org/earlylearning/sruss.asp
VPK Provider Kindergarten Readiness Rate
Rates for providers who served children during the 2005-06 or 2006-07 and 2007-08 program years are published at:
Readiness rates will be re-calculated each year as a method of measuring the performance of providers in preparing Florida’s four-year-olds to be ready to learn for kindergarten.
The State Board of Education sets the minimum readiness rate. A Low Performing Provider (LPP) is a VPK provider whose readiness rate is at or below the bottom 15-percent of all providers’ readiness rates.
Providers who fall below the minimum readiness rate will be notified by mail and required to:
- acknowledge their status
- create an improvement plan
- include in their plan a list of actions already taken or proposed to be taken, and a timeline to implement the proposed actions
- complete periodic progress reports
- For information about the VPK education standards, kindergarten screening, curricula, professional development, and accountability, please contact the Florida Department of Education, Office of Early Learning at:
VPK Training
The Department of Education (DOE) Emergent Literacy for VPK is recommended for all Lead Instructors in the VPK classroom as of November, 2005. This is a 5-hour on-line course. Approved five-hour Emergent Literacy Courses completed before November, 2005 are accepted. The 5 hour DOE on-line Emergent Literacy course is necessary for all Directors as they meet the VPK Director Endorsement Credential requirement.
- The course is offered on-line at www.myflorida.com/childcare, select training requirements and then on-line training courses. You can also receive the training information from ELCFV on a DVD with an accompanying manual.
- The DOE Emergent Literacy training provides .5 CEU’s, which is helpful in the process of renewing CDA credentials.
- Having all VPK staff trained in DOE Emergent Literacy makes for a more qualified and diverse staff if you encounter the need to rearrange staffing patterns in your program.
- This course can be taken by anyone, even if they are not a VPK provider.
Florida Performance Standards for VPK Training:
The Department of Education has created Performance Standards for VPK just as it has created them for grades kindergarten through twelve. The standards cover eight domains of development:
- Physical Health
- Approaches to Learning
- Social and Emotional Development
- Language and Communication
- Emergent Literacy
- Mathematical and Scientific Thinking
- Social Studies and The Arts
- Motor Development
The goals set forth in the standards are intended to be reached by the end of the child’s VPK year. It is the purpose of the VPK program to develop the whole child and to have the child ready to learn upon entering kindergarten. The key word here is “whole” child not just their academic abilities.
It is the recommendation of Best Practices of the ELCFV that Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education Standards training should be completed by all VPK staff. It is the responsibility of the provider to acquire this training for VPK staff.
Scheduled VPK trainings including Florida VPK Education Standards trainings are advertised on-line at www.myflorida.com/childcare. Select “Click to Register”, then “Instructor Led”. You will be asked to enter your name and social security or ID number. After verifying your demographic information, you will choose the date range, county where training will be held and type of training. Choose “VPK Training Providers”. Scroll down to Step 2; you will see currently scheduled training. Scroll down to step 3 to register. Staff working with any age group may register for VPK training. VPK training currently being offered includes:
- Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education Standards: ELCFV Best Practices recommend that VPK teachers complete this FREE three (3) hour module. It provides an overview of the Standards and examples of developmentally appropriate instructional techniques for four year old children. .3 CEU’s are earned for completing this training.
- Integrating the VPK Standards: This is an optional FREE two (2) hour training that focuses on the Emergent Literacy domain of the Performance Standards for VPK. This module provides participants the opportunity to create a developmentally appropriate activity, related to a benchmark in phonological awareness, to implement in the classroom. .2 CEU’s are earned for completing this training. VPK Standards training is a prerequisite. Participants may choose to complete a practicum to earn an additional .3 CEU’s.
Emergent Literacy in the VPK Classroom: This is an optional FREE ten (10) hour training that provides a practical classroom implementation of emergent reading, emergent writing, oral language and communication and environment. It includes hands-on activities to assist in understanding the concepts. 1 full CEU is earned for completing this training. VPK Standards training is a prerequisite.
Information Regarding VPK Instructor Requirements
- School Year Instructors: http://www.fldoe.org/earlylearning/pdf/sy_vpk_instrct-credential.pdf
- Summer Instructors: http://www.fldoe.org/earlylearning/pdf/sumvpkinstrctcred.pdf
- Stautory Requirements: http://www.fldoe.org/earlylearning/pdf/vpkeqcrd.pdf
Commonly Used Forms
| Department of Children and Families | Local licensing and provider information is ready to view at: |
| DCF mandated classes or exams | Click on the link below and look for the Staff Credential button for more information on obtaining a VPK Staff Credential. https://training01-dcf.myflorida.gov/dcf/cct/inf0001.html |
| Director Credential Information | Information on obtaining your Director Credential, which is required for all private VPK providers. This link also includes information on Director Credential renewal and the VPK Endorsement requirements. |
| Child Development Associate Equivalency Renewal | Information on renewing your CDAE may be viewed at: |
| Provider VPK Handbook | The Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia Counties has formulated this easy to read VPK Provider Guide to assist potential and current VPK providers. |
| AWI-VPK 10 & 11 Forms | To download VPK application forms please click on the following link: |
| VPK 10 Application Checklist | This form is included with the AWI VPK 10 application form and its related documentation. Providers complete the top portion of this form and check the documentation that they have included to support their application on the left side of the checklist. This form is important to make sure a complete application is in place before coming to the application review appointment. The reviewer will complete the right side of the form. |
| VPK 11 Application Checklist | This form is included with the AWI VPK 11 application form and its related documentation. Remember there will be a separate VPK 11 application and checklist for each VPK class seeking approval. Providers complete the top portion of this form and check the documentation that they have included to support their application on the left side of the checklist. This form is important to make sure a complete application is in place before coming to the application review appointment. The reviewer will complete the right side of the form. |
Live Scan VPK Provider Live Scan Procedure |
The Live Scan process for Level II Background Screening of VPK staff can be downloaded by clicking here. |
Live Scan Fingerprint Request Form |
The VPK Provider Request form which the Live Scan applicant completes and their supervisor signs must be taken to DCF at the time of the Live Scan. Download the request form by clicking here. |
Attestation of Good Moral Character |
This form is part of a Level II Background Screening. Providers complete this form internally and have each staff person sign and date. This form is valid for 1 (one) year from the date of the signature. |
| 2010/2011 Calendar Calculation Sheet | Use this form to assist in the calculation of your VPK calendar 2009/2010 to assure a delivery of 540 instructional hours for the school year program and 300 instructional hours for the summer 2009 program. |
| W-9 | This form must be completed to process your payments. |
| Payment Selection Form | Use this form to notify the Coalition if you want REIMBURSEMENT or ADVANCE PAYMENT. |
| Child Attendance and Parental Choice Certificate | This form should be signed monthly by the parent of each child enrolled in the VPK program. This form is to be kept on site in the child's file. |
| VPK Classroom Enrollees Form | Use this form to officially enroll a child into one of your VPK classes. This form will be used to verify reimbursement. |
| VPK Classroom Disenrollment Form | Use this form to officially disenroll a child into one of your VPK classes. This form will be used to verify reimbursement. |
| VPK Classroom Transfers Form | This form is used when a provider has more than one classroom and is moving a child from one classroom to another. Instructions on completing this process are on the form. |
| AWI-VPK 06 Informed Parental Consent for Provider Transfers and Class Transfers | This form is used during a classroom transfer if the classroom that a child is being moved into has more remaining VPK hours than the child has remaining. |
| VPK Provider Name Change | Click Here to download this document |
| VPK Provider Change of Director | Click Here to download this document |
| VPK Provider Change of Address | Click Here to download this document |
| VPK Provider Change of Ownership | Click Here to download this document |
| VPK Provider Attendance Form | Click Here to download this document |
Early Learning Coalition Of Flagler & Volusia Counties
230 North Beach Street
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Phone: 386-323-2400
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