Welcome to the Early Childhood section of our website. Parental involvement begins at birth or even prenatally. The Florida Statewide Parental Information and Resource Center at the University of South FLorida offers resources to assist families in the education of their children during the early childhood years.

Workshops

The Partnership's workshops are specially designed to train educators and families. These workshops are provided upon request (subject to trainer availability) to any school, district, Early Learning Coalition, or community group. Contact the Partnership to schedule a workshop. The following early childhood workshops are available:

Families Reading Together

This workshop gives an outline of the importance of reading with and to young children. It offers simple, practical ideas for parents to help guide their young child towards success in reading.

Florida’s Voluntary Pre-kindergarten (VPK)

VPK is a free preschool service open to all four-year-old children in the state of Florida, regardless family income. This workshop explains to parents the goals of the VPK program, how to access VPK services, and some of the benefits of preschool education.

Choosing the Right Early Childhood Program for Your Child

With so many choices available for children from birth to five, it can be confusing for parents to find the one that best suits their child’s needs, and your family’s needs. This workshop explains the choices that are available and how to identify quality early childhood programs.

Tip Sheets

Tip sheets on the following topics can be downloaded and reproduced as needed:

• Choosing a Preschool or Child Care Center
• Reading with Your Baby
• Toddlers Love to Read
• You Are Your Child’s First Teacher

Easy Read Tip Sheets

Easy Read Tip sheets on the following topics can be downloaded and reproduced as needed:

• Reading with Your Baby
• Toddlers Love to Read
• You Are Your Child’s First Teacher

Links

The following links provide useful information for parents:

www.naeyc.org

Find articles for parents and information about early childhood programs.

www.vpkflorida.org

Information for parents and providers about Florida’s Voluntary Pre-kindergarten programs.

www.childcareaware.org

Find your local Early Learning Coalition (child care resource and referral agency.)

www.fcforum.org

Florida Children’s Forum has information on a wide variety of topics, including Choosing Quality Child Care.