1. DELDN ADVOCACY TRAINING

2. STRAIGHT FROM THE LEGISLATOR!
Welcome
Councilwoman
Anna Broche!

3. 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

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

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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

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

9. 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.

10. BILLS OF
INTEREST

11. 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 Public Assistance Bill
Gives tax exemption for diapers/baby wipes/feminine products
HB 71/SB Tax Exemption

12. Bills of Interest HB 79/SB 656 - Education
Requires OEL to approve VPK program assessments and who administers them.
HB 79/SB 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 VPK Education

13. 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 Relating to Early Learning

14. 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 VPK

15. MESSAGING
TIPS

16. 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

17. 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!

18. 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.

19. 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!

20. 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