Families
Preparación para la escuela
The School Readiness program is a state and federally funded child care tuition assistance program that prepares children to become ready for school assists families in becoming financially self-sufficient and provides caregivers with information about child development and other topics of interest.
¿Necesita ayuda para pagar el cuidado infantil?
El ELC ayuda a las familias trabajadoras en riesgo y de bajos ingresos brindándoles asistencia para la matrícula de cuidado infantil a través del programa School Readiness.
Law requires the ELC to determine eligibility partly on purpose for care (working, attending school, etc.), household income, and the number of people in the household. We enroll into the School Readiness program when there are available funds. Typically, there is a waitlist to receive services. To apply for this program, access Florida’s Early Learning Family Portal.
For more information, call us at (850) 385-0504. To view a complete list of ELC contracted providers that offer School Readiness, please click here (updated October 2025).
Who is Eligible?
- Parent(s) must be working or participating in an educational activity such as attending college or trade school at least 20 hours per week.
- Gross income must be at or below 55 percent of the state median income (SMI) for family size (please review the Sliding Fee Scale for reference).
- Families must pay a copayment for child care based on income and family size.
- Other children may be eligible if they have special needs or are at-risk of abuse, neglect or abandonment, or if their parents are homeless, victims of domestic violence or are low-income migrant families or farm workers.
Sliding Fee Scale (applies to current families whose recertification date was prior to 7/1/25 only)
25-26 Sliding Fee Scale (applies to families with a recertification date 7/1/25 thru 9/30/25)
Lista de espera de preparación escolar
La Coalición de Aprendizaje Temprano de Big Bend Region, Inc. (ELC) actualmente está inscribiendo familias en el programa de Preparación Escolar. Las familias interesadas en recibir asistencia para la matrícula de cuidado infantil a través de este programa deben completar una solicitud en Portal familiar de aprendizaje temprano de Florida.
Si la información que ingresa parece cumplir con los requisitos del programa, se le agregará a la lista de espera de ELC.
Once funds are available, you will receive an email invitation from the Waitlist to verify eligibility. Invited families have 30 days to respond – please refer to this checklist for requested documents so you are ready.
Si tiene preguntas sobre la lista de espera, llámenos al (850) 385-0504.
Familias actualmente en la lista de espera
El ELC tiene un nuevo proceso para comunicarse con las familias de la lista de espera del ELC. A medida que los fondos estén disponibles, las familias en la lista de espera recibirán correos electrónicos. El ELC no puede predecir cuándo estarán disponibles los fondos para su familia, así que revise su bandeja de entrada y las carpetas de correo basura y correo no deseado con regularidad.
Si recibiste un correo electrónico:
- “Aviso de Financiamiento para la Preparación Escolar” from DONOTREPLY@del.myflorida.com
- “Invitación de nueva inscripción de ELC” de la Coalición de Aprendizaje Temprano de la Región de Big Bend
Descargar un breve documento de Preguntas y Respuestas sobre sus próximos pasos.
Si no ha recibido ninguno de los dos correos electrónicos, el ELC aún no lo ha invitado a inscribirse en los servicios. En este caso, revise su correo electrónico con frecuencia. También puede comunicarse con el ELC al familyservices@elcbigbend.org o al 1.866.973.9030.
School Readiness Plus Program
The School Readiness (SR) Plus program gives extra support to current SR working families who are no longer eligible for the School Readiness program due to increased income. It helps cover the cost of child care while families adjust to changes in their income.
If your family qualifies for SR Plus, you will pay a little more for child care than you did with the regular School Readiness program. This small increase helps you prepare to take on the full cost of care over time.
SR Plus is designed to help families keep moving forward – so you can accept a raise or promotion without suddenly losing all your child care help.
Please refer to the sliding scale fee below for SR Plus Program eligibility (please note: SR Plus is for families that received SR child care services and recently exited the SR program due to a family income exceeding 85% of the State Median Income).
Sliding Fee Scale (applies to current, active families who recertified prior to 7/1/25)
25-26 Sliding Fee Scale (applies to families with a recertification date from 7/1/25 thru 9/30/25)
