Help make sure Florida and our children don't miss out on this important opportunity. Let's make sure we urge legislative budget committee members to vote in favor of ensuring that Florida has a chance to compete for $100 million, under the federal Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Grant.
To send an email message to all 14 members of the Legislative Budget Commission all you need to do is fill in the form below. Cut and paste the suggested text (or add your own) into the message box and click "send." To contact representatives by telephone click here for a list of representatives and phone numbers.
Suggested email text:
Dear Legislative Budget Commission members:
I ask for your help to ensure that Florida does not lose an extraordinary opportunity to compete for $100 million in federal dollars to move toward a better, more coordinated system of early care, development and learning.
If we can invest in up-front quality basics in the early learning area, we will have made a major advance in delivering children in far better shape – cognitively, socially and emotionally – to formal school, and the return on investment in early learning is so much higher than in later grades.
To be eligible to compete for $100 million in an Early Learning Challenge Grant, Florida must draw down funds in the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Grant for $3.4 million that it was recently awarded.
Please support the legislative budget amendment granting the Department of Health budget authority to draw down this funding on the Legislative Budget Commission’s (LBC’s) agenda for September 7.
Please note that the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Grant is unrelated to the mandatory health issues that the Legislature opposes. Home visitation programs are evidenced-based, effective, save the state money and are completely voluntary.
This is a one-time infusion of funds. No match is required and there are no requirements for Florida to provide funds now or in the future. If these funds are not accepted, they will go to other states.
Thank you for helping to ensure that we do not lose this opportunity for meaningful education reform that will greatly benefit Florida’s children.