Florida's Early Learning Roadmap

 

Implementing Florida's Early Learning Roadmap

Launched in Fall 2023 following nearly two years of collective work, Florida’s Early Learning Roadmap is an actionable roadmap for the future of early learning policy and funding in the third-largest state. Mothers, fathers, educators, center owners and directors, advocates, and state policy experts worked collaboratively to plan the future.

Nearly 1,000 Floridians helped create the Roadmap, a document that grew out of more than 100 conversations with parents, educators, and others all across our state. The steering committee who drafted it was made up of 70% parents and educators.

Today, continued planning and implementation we put forward is lead by our advisory board. 

Florida's Early Learning Roadmap

After traveling throughout the state hosting more than 65 listening and feedback sessions engaging 850+ Floridians, our Steering Committee (made up of 70% parents and educators) worked collaboratively to create an actionable roadmap for the future of early learning policy and funding in our state.

Download Florida’s Early Learning Roadmap

The Future Call

The Future Call is a bi-weekly community conversation for Floridians interested in supporting our youngest learners and the adults who help them thrive. It’s an opportunity to share successes and best practices aligned to the recommendations in Florida’s Early Learning Roadmap and to collaborate for continued progress. 

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Florida's Early Learning Roadmap

Florida's Early Learning Roadmap

Florida's Early Learning Roadmap

The 4 Key Components

We put forward 41 recommendations across four key components.

Thriving Parents

Hearts

All parents—including mothers, fathers, and other caregivers—and families can access the resources and support they need to help their children thrive, including mental health resources, caregiver support systems, and affordable year-round early learning that meets their children's unique developmental needs

Impactful Learning Experiences

Tree and playground

Every teacher has the tools to provide every child with engaging, hands-on, high-quality, developmentally appropriate, differentiated, and purposefully playful early learning experiences that foster the magic of exploration and learning as the foundation for healthy early childhood development and school readiness.

A Respected Workforce

Star icon

The teachers and directors who are the backbone of the early learning system are recognized, respected, and supported with training, competitive compensation, and benefits that help them make a living as career early learning professionals.

A Well-Coordinated, Resourced, & Data-Driven System

Checkmark in gear

All parents, educators, and other family service providers work together, communicate regularly, and coordinate effectively in an aligned, well-funded, data-driven, accessible, and effective early learning system that supports the growth, development, and overall success of all young children in Florida.

Our Advisory Board

Florida's Early Learning Roadmap Advisory Board
Florida's Early Learning Roadmap Advisory Board

The advisory board is leading the charge to turn the Roadmap into the state’s reality. Established in January 2024, the group of about 40 people representing diverse communities from across the state is tasked with strategizing and implementing the recommendations.

Our Advisory Board is comprised of a diverse group of Floridians. They represent:

  • Parents and families with young children impacted by the state's early learning services
  • Key state and regional agencies that impact and/or administer the current public early childhood systems
  • Child care and health providers who support essential educational, health, developmental, or social-emotional supports for young children and their families
  • Advocates and leaders who work on early childhood systems and policies in Florida

Advisory Board Members

  • Cari Miller, Division of Early Learning, Tallahassee
  • Damon Francis, Parent, Spring Hill
  • Dawn Montecalvo, Guadalupe Center, Immokalee
  • Denise Brown, Parent, Jacksonville
  • Denise Liriano, Parent, Spring Hill
  • DJ Lebo, Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia, Daytona Beach
  • Dr. Herman Knopf, Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies, UF., Gainesville
  • Dr. Sharon Miller, King's Kid Christian Academy of Tampa, Inc., Tampa
  • Erin Smeltzer, Children's Forum, Tallahassee
  • Heather Siskind, Jack and Jill Center, Ft. Lauderdale
  • Jennifer Coleman, Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County, Palm Beach
  • Jesyca Blaine, Parent, Tavares
  • Kayla Miranda, Parent, Crawfordville
  • Kimberly Singer, Head Start, Statewide
  • Kissha Ballard, Kissha's Little Ones Child Care, LLC., Orlando
  • Madeleine K. Thakur, The Children's Movement, Miami
  • Maria Somera, Parent, Sarasota
  • Mary Huffstetter, St. Lucie Public Schools, Port St. Lucie
  • Mia Jones, Children's Trust of Alachua County, Gainesville
  • Michelle Forrest, Community Action Program Committee - Head Start, Pensacola
  • Miracle Wilson, Parent, Daytona Beach
  • Molly Grant, Association of Early Learning Coalitions, Tallahassee
  • Nadeige Theresias-Josil, Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center, North Miami
  • Paloma Prata, Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions, Tallahassee
  • Pamela Hollingsworth, Early Learning Coalition of Miami Dade and Monroe, Miami
  • Paula Moujalli, United Way, Miami
  • Russell Scoates, Small World Daycare & Learning Center, Gainesville
  • Sandi Bisceglia, Former Elementary Teacher and Pre K-8 Principal, Florida Keys/Islamorada
  • Sasha Pack, Early Childhood Educator, Palm Coast
  • Simone McDaniel, Parent, Tallahassee
  • Tamara Tener, Florida Family Child Care Home Association, Crystal River
  • Toshiko Pinckney, Early Childhood Educator, St. Petersburg

Advisory board members work together to strategize and implement the recommendations in Florida's Early Learning Roadmap. Each one participates in one of our four working groups. 

Working Groups

Thriving Parents

Thriving Parents

The Thriving Parents working group advances the Future Project Roadmap strategies focused on ensuring parents and families with young children are connected to the community, can access the resources they need when they need them, and are supported as partners and leaders in improving outcomes for children.

Focus:

  • Comprehensive resource guides for families
  • Create support group(s) statewide
  • Develop parent advocacy and leadership training

Early Educators Workforce

Early Educators Workforce Working Group
Early Educators Workforce Working Group

The Early Educators Workforce working group advances the Future Project Roadmap strategies focused on increasing training, support, compensation, benefits, and career pathways for early learning professionals.

Focus:

  • Rule change to increase paid professional development days
  • Create more reliable CLASS assessors and trainers in the field
  • Inform Informal Pathways Project Advisory Committee Report and Implementation
  • Expand professional development wage incentive programs across the state

Public Awareness & Recognition

Public Awareness & Recognition Working Group
Public Awareness & Recognition Working Group

The Public Awareness and Recognition working group advances the Future Project Roadmap strategies focused on raising awareness and increasing understanding among policy makers and the public about the importance of high-quality early learning, developmentally appropriate practice, and the value of early learning teachers through a series of public awareness and recognition efforts.

Focus:

  • Develop and launch a statewide public awareness campaign
  • Engage state and local policy makers as champions
  • Expand community recognition for early educators

System Transformation

System Transformation Working Group
System Transformation Working Group

The System Transformation working group advances the Future Project Roadmap strategies focused on creating a well-funded, high-quality, data-driven early learning system that connects families to additional services.

Focus:

  • Increase funding levels for early learning programs
  • Expand program eligibility to match Florida's economic reality
  • Document the true cost of quality care
  • Move towards a fully-funded high-quality early learning system

How we got here

Listening Tour: April-November 2022

  • Conducted 40 "Let’s Talk!" sessions in 22 counties.
  • Inclusive approach with virtual and Spanish and Haitian-Creole sessions. 

Drafting the Roadmap: September 2022-April 2023

  • A diverse committee selected through a competitive process.
  • Activities included developing a shared vision and drafting the roadmap.

Community Feedback: May-June 2023

  • Conducted 25 community meetings to receive feedback.
  • Over 450 participants provided feedback for roadmap refinement.

Learn more about what led to this work

Colorful banner introducing Let's Talk sessions across the state

Our "Let's Talk!" listening sessions have taken us all across the state and into the virtual sphere. We had so many partners and friends help us invite participants for these intimate discussions--usually over dinner. Here's a look at where we've been. (Our virtual sessions are not pictured but included parents in the Keys, and home visitors and Spanish-speaking parents across the state.)