The Early Childhood Association of Florida advocates policies that enhance the quality of life for ALL children and families. Its members support the right for ALL children to receive high quality care and education from well qualified early childhood professionals.

The Early Childhood Association of Florida SUPPORTS:

I. Development of Knowledge and Understanding of Children

• Developmentally appropriate practices that promote high quality care and education of young children by age, individuality, and cultural diversity as defined by the National Association of the Education of Young Children guidelines;
• Class size and adult/child ratios maintained as per age group as defined by the National Association of the Education of Young Children;
• Abolishment of inappropriate and corporal punishment and the establishment of positive and effective guidance and behavior management guidelines, and
• Legislative policies and funding that provide for efficient, effective, and appropriate practices for high quality early childhood care and education.

II. Professional Growth

• Continued education of early childhood professionals with acquisition of competencies equivalent to the Child Development Associate national Credential Program entry level early care and education professionals;
• A career ladder leading early childhood professionals to a degree in-field with dedicated funding to assist them;
• Compensation commensurate with professional training and degrees;
• Training requirements that emphasize early childhood developmental theories and appropriate practices for individuals who supervise early care and education programs, and
• Complete background checks for all early care and education personnel who work with children.

III. Educational and Developmental Resources and Services

• Increased funding for services that would improve and expand high quality early care and education;
• Improved standards and regulations promoting high quality early care and education;
• Additional regulators trained in early childhood to monitor environments;
• Screening and identification of children with developmental delays and disabilities and provision of appropriate intervention services;
• Implementation of developmentally appropriate assessment, and
• Appropriate curricula, teaching techniques, and materials for all children from birth through the primary grades.

IV. Families

• Policies and programs that strengthen families and result in improved health and self-sufficiency;
• Parental choice in early care and early education options;
• Policies and programs to prevent financial dependency, teenage pregnancy, illiteracy, substance abuse, homelessness, child abuse, and family violence;
• Pro-family policies by government, employers, and labor unions, and
• Adequate prenatal care and education, housing, food, immunizations, and health care for ALL children.

Our Concern is High Quality Pre-K

• Curriculum
  
  • Implementation of developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically sensitive, and responsive practices.
  • Promotion of literacy as well as all areas of learning - social, emotional, physical, aesthetic, and cognitive.
• Choice
  
  • Options for families among public, for profit, nonprofit, faith-based, and private providers that meet nationally accredited standards.
• Ratio and Class Size
  
  • Adhere to a 1:10 or lower ratio of adult to children in center-based settings. A group size not to exceed 20 children.
• Teacher Qualifications
  
  • A career ladder for teachers, with definitive timelines for attainment of specified degrees and credentials coupled with funds to help teachers earn the required degrees.
• Governance
  
  • Members of the local governing bodies must reflect the diversity of the families and of the providers and other system stakeholders in the communities.

Contact your legislators by phone, fax, e-mail, or mail telling them you want a quality voluntary VPK.

Watch ECA website www.ecaoffl.org for updates.

Download the Public Policy Brochure (in PDF format).