| When looking for a childcare facility for your four | | | | curriculum, and accountability is the responsibility |
| year old son or daughter in Carrollwood, Tampa, | | | | of the Department of Education (DOE). |
| 33625 it would be best to choose a learning | | | | The Voluntary Pre Kindergarten Program is given |
| center that also offers the VPK or Voluntary Pre | | | | in two ways. During the school year, it is given as |
| Kindergarten Program already integrated in its | | | | a program that has 540 instructional hours. In |
| daycare service. It will result in numerous | | | | summer, it is given as a program with 300 |
| advantages for your child. | | | | instructional hours. |
| The Voluntary Pre Kindergarten Program is a free | | | | The law requires the VPK Program to have a |
| program in the state of Florida which was signed | | | | class size of not more than 18 children if given |
| into law in January of 2005. The pre school | | | | during the school year. If given in summer, the |
| program has been designed as a preparatory step | | | | VPK class size should not be more than 10 |
| that teaches children the skills necessary for | | | | children. In both cases, the ratio should always be |
| pre-reading, pre-math, language and social | | | | at least one instructor for every 10 children. |
| interaction. The VPK is a response to the scientific | | | | The law also requires that all instructors in the |
| fact that between the age of four and five, the | | | | Voluntary Pre Kindergarten Program for the |
| most important developments are happening in a | | | | school year should hold one of the following |
| child’s brain growth. In this period, the child | | | | degrees – either an associate in child |
| develops the ability to focus attention and the | | | | development or an associate in a separate field |
| ability to follow directions. All these developments | | | | but with six hours credit on child development or |
| have been proven to be maximized by structured | | | | early childhood education – in addition to |
| learning. | | | | experience in education or child care for children |
| Child development experts have long established | | | | up to age eight equivalent to 480 hours. |
| that children who have undergone early childhood | | | | To teach in the Summer VPK Program, |
| education programs of excellent quality later | | | | instructors are required to be a current holder of |
| exhibit much better performance in school. Even | | | | a Florida Educator Certificate. Alternatively, they |
| from the Kindergarten level, they show language | | | | should have a Bachelor's Degree or higher in early |
| skills and social skills that are more developed, | | | | childhood education, pre-kindergarten or primary |
| score much higher in tests for school readiness, | | | | education, preschool education, or family and |
| and show less problems in behaviour. These | | | | consumer science. |
| children are seen as good students who are | | | | If you prefer a Christian facility for your childcare, |
| strong readers and who have internalized a long | | | | you might want to consider bringing your child to |
| term love for learning. They are foreseen to have | | | | A Brighter Future Child Development and Learning |
| a higher likelihood of succeeding in their academic | | | | Center in Carrollwood, Tampa, 33625. It is a |
| future. | | | | daycare center that accepts children from the |
| In the Voluntary Pre Kindergarten Program law, | | | | age of 6 weeks to 11 years old. A Brighter Future |
| the various responsibilities for the program have | | | | Child Development and Learning Center |
| been assigned to different agencies that lead and | | | | incorporates the Voluntary Pre Kindergarten |
| guide the many school districts, early learning | | | | Program in its program for children from four |
| coalitions and public and private providers of the | | | | years old. In addition, it also has after school child |
| VPK program. Day-to-day management is the | | | | development programs for children in K1, K2, K3, |
| responsibility of the Agency for Workforce | | | | and K4. This ensures that the excellent foundation |
| Innovation (AWI); the issuance of licenses and | | | | given through the VPK Program is followed in the |
| credentials is the responsibility of the Department | | | | succeeding after school child development |
| of Children and Families (DCF); the standards, | | | | programs. What better childcare would you want? |