| If you are a working parent with a four year old | | | | curriculum, and accountability. They provide |
| child in Carrollwood, Tampa, 33625, it would be | | | | leadership and guidance to the various early |
| better for your child if you find a daycare service | | | | learning coalitions, school districts, and public and |
| for him or her that incorporates the VPK or | | | | private providers that implement the VPK |
| Voluntary Pre Kindergarten Program in its | | | | program. |
| childcare services. | | | | Among the characteristics of the Voluntary Pre |
| The free Voluntary Pre Kindergarten Program for | | | | Kindergarten Program are high standards of |
| Florida was signed as law in January 2005. It was | | | | literacy, curricula that are developmentally |
| designed as a pre school preparatory program | | | | appropriate, class sizes that are efficient and |
| that develops the children’s skills in | | | | manageable, and well qualified teachers. |
| pre-reading, pre-math, language and social | | | | There are two options for the Voluntary Pre |
| interaction. It is based on the fact that the most | | | | Kindergarten Program. One is the school year |
| crucial developments in brain growth and | | | | program with 540 instructional hours while the |
| development occurs between the ages of four | | | | other is the summer program with 300 |
| and five. This is the time when the child’s | | | | instructional hours. |
| ability to focus his or her attention is developed | | | | Among the requirements of the law are a |
| and the ability to follow directions is first | | | | maximum class size of 18 children for the |
| established. Structured learning has been | | | | program given within the school year, and a |
| established to be most effective here. | | | | maximum class size of 10 children for the |
| It has been observed that early childhood | | | | program given in summer. There should always |
| education programs of the highest quality produce | | | | be one instructor for every 10 children, though. |
| children who eventually do better in school, | | | | Instructors for the Voluntary Pre Kindergarten |
| starting from Kindergarten, with more developed | | | | Program given during the school year should have |
| language skills, better social skills, higher scores in | | | | an associate’s degree in child development, or |
| school-readiness tests and less behavioral | | | | an associate’s degree or higher in an |
| problems in school. They become strong readers | | | | unrelated field with six credit hours on child |
| and good students who are more likely to | | | | development or early childhood education plus 480 |
| succeed in academic life since they have acquired | | | | hours of experience in education or child care for |
| a lifelong love for learning. | | | | children up to age eight. |
| The Voluntary Pre Kindergarten Program law has | | | | Instructors for the Summer VPK Program should |
| made the Agency for Workforce Innovation | | | | hold a current Florida Educator Certificate, or a |
| (AWI) responsible for the day-to-day | | | | Bachelor's Degree or higher in any of the following: |
| management of the program; the Department of | | | | early childhood education, pre-kindergarten or |
| Children and Families (DCF) responsible for giving | | | | primary education, preschool education, or family |
| licenses and credentials; and the Department of | | | | and consumer science. |
| Education (DOE) responsible for standards, | | | | |