Who We Are

THE EARLY LEARNING COALITION OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY...

is a 501-C3 organization that specializes in the funding and delivery of quality early child care, education, after-school programs and services to the children and families of Hillsborough County. We believe all children should have a quality early learning experience, which is essential in building a successful future. The mission of the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County (ELCHC) is to provide children, birth to 5 years, high quality, equitable and inclusive early learning experiences preparing them for success in school and life through the collaboration of families, educators and the community. Our vision is that all Hillsborough County children will grow up in a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment where their physical, social, emotional and intellectual health is a primary focus of attention at home and in the community; their families are supported in ways that promote good parenting; and their families and caregivers are supported in promoting each individual child’s well-being and readiness to succeed in school and life.

PURPOSE

The ELCHC will use the community needs assessment to determine local priorities related to eligibility for the School Readiness Program, which is a program that offers subsidized child care to working families for children birth to 13 years old. The community needs assessment will also be used to determine the optional need for contracted slots for child care in high-poverty areas and waivers to child care providers. Specifically, the team will use the community needs assessment to:

• Assess the demographic make-up of children/families who are eligible for subsidized childcare, as well as unique populations within the county • Review data regarding the education and social service needs of eligible children and their families • Review data regarding the education and social service needs of children with disabilities and special needs • Assess resources in the county that could be used to address the needs of children and their families including assessment of their access to these resources • Determine the use of contracted slots for eligible children and families within the county • Provide recommendations for prioritizing school readiness eligibility • Provide data to develop criteria for waivers to child care providers whose composite score fall below the contract minimum, but who provide care to children in high-needs areas. • Assess the need for enhanced quality child care infrastructure in high-needs areas • Assess county demographics as related to kindergarten readiness

In May 2018, a team of community agencies was formed to discuss the local resources needed to compile the prior community needs report. Those agencies are as follows: Bay Area Legal Services, Champions for Children, Children’s Board of Hillsborough County, Early Childhood Council, ELCHC, Healthy Start Coalition Hillsborough, Hillsborough Community College, Hillsborough County Head Start/Early Head Start and Hillsborough County Public Schools. This report is an update of the 2018 assessment of available data within the community. Data resources used in this report have been updated as more current data has been made available.