DELDN ADVOCACY TRAINING

STRAIGHT FROM THE LEGISLATOR! Welcome Councilwoman Anna Broche!

Insider’s Guide to Advocacy In this section, we will briefly discuss: ELC Legislative Priorities Organizations Advocating for Early Learning Legislative Issues for 2017 Governor’s Budget Bills of Interest Messaging Tips

ELC Legislative Priorities Increased Funding for School Readiness and VPK. Support Ability for Local Decision Making.

Office of Early Learning (OEL) Lead administrator of federal & state child care funds. Partners with 30 local early learning coalitions to deliver early learning services. Oversight of VPK, School Readiness and Child Care Resource & Referral Services; Performance Funding. Governs day-to-day operations of statewide early learning programs, allocating federal & state funds to coalitions and other statewide providers.

Office of Early Learning (OEL) Priorities: Increase school readiness funding $25m (to serve approx. 4,500 more children) Increase VPK funding $14.6m ($50 school-year; $43 summer) Restore non-recurring funding $25.1m TEACH Performance Funding HIPPY Teacher Training Help Me Grow

2017 Advocacy Organizations Children Services Council (CSC) FL Association of Child Care Management (FACCM) FL Association for the Education of Young Children United Way of Florida Children’s Movement of Florida Lutheran Services Florida

Governor Scott’s 2017-2018 Proposed Budget $1.1 Billion Budget $36 Million $50 Per Child VPK $25 Million School Readiness

Governor Scott’s 2017-2018 Proposed Budget $15 Million CCEP $15.5 Million Performance Funding $10 Million TEACH $2.5 Million Help Me Grow $3 Million Lastinger TT $3.9 Million HIPPY $2 Million VPK Acct.

BILLS OF INTEREST

Bills of Interest HB 23/SB 570 - Public Assistance Bill Revises penalties on non-compliance with work requirements. Limits child-only benefits with non-compliant recipients. Prohibits ETB cards at certain locations. HB 23/SB 570 - Public Assistance Bill Gives tax exemption for diapers/baby wipes/feminine products HB 71/SB 252 - Tax Exemption

Bills of Interest HB 79/SB 656 - Education Requires OEL to approve VPK program assessments and who administers them. HB 79/SB 656 - Education Requires teachers, reading coaches, and principals, in PreK-3, to gain specific training. Requires VPK providers to give parents pre/post results in a specific time frame. Assigns student identifier in VPK. HB 757/SB 468 - VPK Education

Bills of Interest HB 1229/SB 806 - Committee/Early Grade Success Creates committee within DOE to establish & implement a coordinated child assessment system for School Readiness and VPK. Staffed by UF Lastinger Center with report due by Dec. 1, 2017. Requires providers to submit proof of training and credentials to DCF provider registry. Requires providers to submit staff names to registry. Revises Pre-K requirements for instructors. HB 1431 - Relating to Early Learning

Bills of Interest HB 1359/SB 1714 - Relating to Early Learning Reinstates coalitions’ authority to set local enrollment priorities. Allows board membership to include law enforcement and/or state universities. Allows contract termination to be up to 5-years. Revises instructors credential requirements for School Year VPK. Must have an Associates Degree or higher in child development by 2022. SB 1214 - VPK

MESSAGING TIPS

Messaging Tips Talk About: Families’ Needs, not the State Budget If the conversation is about families’ needs, you can win. If it is about the state’s budget, they win. Talk About: Families’ Needs, not the State Budget Say “Initiatives” if you must. Talking about families’ needs is even stronger. Never Say: “Program” - People Don’t Care About Programs, and Some Distrust Them

Messaging Tips Reminder! Beware! Remind the legislator it is his/her job to balance the budget and take care of his/her constituents. Reminder! Beware when policymakers ask you to pit one kids’ or families’ programs against another… it is a trap. Don’t fall into it! Beware!

DELDN Legislative Priorities Increase Funding for School Readiness & VPK Support a Statewide Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) Adopt one Statewide Assessment to Calculate the Readiness Rate. Allow Coalitions Local Decision Making.

Children’s Day DON’T DELAY… Become an Advocate Today! March 28, 2017 Are you ready to lead and advocate for change in Jacksonville? Join us as we travel to Tallahassee and advocate to our state legislators during Children’s Day at the Capitol. DON’T DELAY… Become an Advocate Today! RSVP to Pat Thompson by March 21, 2017. Seats are limited!

2017 Session Dates March 7, 2017 April 22, 2017 April 25, 2017 Regular Session convened at 12-Noon. Deadline for filing bills for introduction. March 7, 2017 All bills are immediately certified. Motion to reconsider made & considered the same day. April 22, 2017 50th Day - Last day for regularly scheduled committee meetings. April 25, 2017 60th Day - Last day of Regular Session. May 5, 2017