Item L06 L.6
County of Monroe P W
;� w 1rJ� BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
r,�� Mayor Craig Cates,District 1
The Florida Keys Mayor Pro Tem Holly Merrill Raschein,District 5
y Michelle Lincoln,District 2
James K.Scholl,District 3
Ij David Rice,District 4
County Commission Meeting
February 15, 2023
Agenda Item Number: L.6
Agenda Item Summary #11692
BULK ITEM: No DEPARTMENT: BOCC District 4
TIME APPROXIMATE: STAFF CONTACT: Tamara Lamarche (305) 289-6000
YES
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval of resolution of support for the Early Learning Coalition
of Monroe County in their appeal to the Florida Legislature to amend the School Readiness Program
Eligibility Criteria to increase access for children in need of early childhood education and (2)
increase child care provider reimbursement rates statewide to offset higher operational costs incurred
by Early Learning Programs.
ITEM BACKGROUND: Florida's School Readiness Program provides subsidies for child care
services and early childhood education for children who are (1) from low-income families; (2) in
protective services and victims or at risk of abuse, neglect, abandonment, or homelessness; (3)
foster children; and (4) children with disabilities. The 2023 Florida Legislature will be
considering a bill to expand the eligibility criteria for families to qualify for the program.
The program not only helps young children prepare for school, but also provides child care so a
parent can work or attend a training or education program.
The Florida Department of Education's Division of Early Learning administers the program at
the state level and early learning coalitions administer the program at the county and regional
levels.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES:
NA
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
DOCUMENTATION:
Final ELC SR Resolution - BOCC Feb 2023
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L.6
ELC EMAIL SUPPORT RESOLUTION JAN 2023
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Effective Date:
Expiration Date:
Total Dollar Value of Contract:
Total Cost to County:
Current Year Portion:
Budgeted:
Source of Funds:
CPI:
Indirect Costs:
Estimated Ongoing Costs Not Included in above dollar amounts:
Revenue Producing: If yes, amount:
Grant:
County Match:
Insurance Required:
Additional Details:
REVIEWED BY:
David Rice Skipped 01/26/2023 3:58 PM
Bob Shillinger Completed 01/30/2023 1:18 PM
Lindsey Ballard Completed 01/30/2023 1:59 PM
Board of County Commissioners Pending 02/15/2023 9:00 AM
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MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 0-
RESOLUTION NO. - 2023 U)
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A RESOLUTION BY THE MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS URGING THE FLORIDA
LEGISLATURE TO (1)AMEND THE SCHOOL READINESS 6
PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA TO INCREASE U
ACCESS FOR CHILDREN IN NEED OF EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND; (2) INCREASE CHILD
CARE PROVIDER REIMBURSEMENT RATES
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STATEWIDE TO OFFSET HIGHER OPERATIONAL U
COSTS INCURRED BY EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS
WHILE ENSURING THAT COUNTIES RECEIVE AT
LEAST AS MUCH FUNDING AS RECEIVED IN THE
PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR. 21
WHEREAS, Florida's School Readiness Program provides subsidies for child care �
services and early childhood education for children who are (1) from low-income families; (2) in
protective services and victims or at risk of abuse, neglect, abandonment, or homelessness; (3)
foster children; and (4) children with disabilities; and 0
WHEREAS, the program not only helps young children prepare for school, but also 2
provides child care so a parent can work or attend a training or education program; and U)
WHEREAS, the Florida Department of Education's Division of Early Learning
administers the program at the state level and early learning coalitions administer the program at Q
the county and regional levels; and
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WHEREAS, the program's two main goals are to help families become financially self- U
sufficient and to help each child develop school readiness skills; and �o
WHEREAS, many working parents across Monroe County in retail, hospitality
restaurants, and"essential"jobs—are beneficiaries of Florida's School Readiness Program; and 0
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WHEREAS, under section 1002.87(1), Florida Statutes, children eligible for the program
include children of a certain age who are from "economically disadvantaged" working families;
and
WHEREAS, under section 1002.81(6), Florida Statutes, "economically disadvantaged" is E
defined as "having a family income that does not exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty level
and includes being a child of a working migratory family as defined by 34 C.F.R. s. 200.81(d) or
(f) or an agricultural worker who is employed by more than one agricultural employer during the
course of a year, and whose income varies according to weather conditions and market stability";
and
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WHEREAS, given the impact of inflation in this community,the rising cost of living, and
an increasing minimum wage across the state, many children previously eligible for the program
no longer qualify as their family income now exceeds 150 percent of the federal poverty level; and
0
WHEREAS, this phenomenon has created a "benefits cliff' where low-income families
find themselves with an income just above 150 percent of the federal poverty level and unable to U)
afford child care while attempting to shift to self-sufficiency; and
WHEREAS, early learning coalitions administering the program at the county and
regional levels are unable, on their own, to provide subsidies for families falling off the benefits 0
cliff, and
WHEREAS, determining income eligibility based on a percentage of the state median
income instead of the federal poverty level would increase access to the School Readiness Program
by creating a more flexible eligibility requirement that: (1) ensures the program works as intended U
by allowing low-income families to work while their children are learning; (2) allows the County
to use designated funds for services for more children; and
WHEREAS,to address the above issues,this Board wishes to urge the Florida Legislature 21
to increase access to the School Readiness Program by amending the eligibility criteria; and W
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0.
WHEREAS, funding for the School Readiness Program is comprised primarily of federal
block grant funding and allocated annually through a funding formula, which the Florida
Legislature is currently reviewing; and 0
WHEREAS, due to the increased operational costs of child care services, challenges with
recruitment and retention of qualified instructional staff, and additional program requirements,the U)
Division of Early Learning and early learning coalitions would greatly benefit from increases to
child care provider reimbursement rates statewide in order to continue to provide adequate services
to children; and N
WHEREAS, in 2022, the Florida Legislature, in the State's General Appropriations Act, t_
passed language which ensured that certain counties,including Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties U
received at least as much funding as the previous year to serve the children in the community; and
WHEREAS, this Board would like to urge the Florida Legislature to, in addition to
amending the eligibility criteria for the School Readiness Program, raise the program's provider 0
reimbursement rates statewide and ensure that the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade and
Monroe receives at least as much funding as in FY 2022-2023, all of which would help guarantee
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that children of low-income working families will be able to participate in an early learning U
program. w
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA,that this Board:
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Section 1. Urges the Florida Legislature to amend the School Readiness Program
eligibility criteria to increase access for children in need of early childhood education.
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Section 2. Urges the Florida Legislature to provide increased funds to increase child
care provider reimbursement rates statewide,which would offset higher operational costs incurred
by those providers while ensuring that Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties receive at least as much
funding as in FY 2022-2023.
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Section 3. Directs the Clerk of the Board to send certified copies of this Resolution to
the Governor,the Senate President,the House Speaker, and the Chair and Members of the Miami- U)
Dade & Monroe Counties State Legislative Delegation.
Governor Ron DeSantis The Honorable Kathleen Passidomo
The Capitol Florida Senate President 0
400 S. Monroe Street 404 S. Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez The Honorable Jim Mooney 0
314 Senate Building 212 The Capitol U
404 S. Monroe Street 402 S. Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
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The Honorable Paul Renner PK Jameson, Coordinator 21
Florida House Speaker Office of Program Policy Analysis w
402 South Monroe Street & Government Accountability 0
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 111 West Madison Street, Room 312
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475
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PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida, at
a regular meeting held on a regular meeting held on the day of 2023. U)
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Mayor Craig Cates M
Mayor Pro Tem Holly Merrill Raschein
Commissioner Michelle Lincoln
Commissioner James K. Scholl LL
Commissioner David Rice U
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(SEAL) BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ATTEST: KEVIN MADOK, CLERK OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
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By: BY:
As Deputy Clerk Mayor Craig Cates
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Approved as to form and legal sufficiency
Robert B. Shillinger,Monroe County Attorney
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Lamarche-Tamara
From: Laurie Dunn <LDunn@elcmdm.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 5, 2023 12:51 PM
To: Lamarche-Tamara L_
Subject: Resolution for the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe L
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You don't often get email from ldunnaelcmdm.org.I„,a ilp ttmis is in,n A C lm.
CAUTION:This email originated from outside of the County.Whether you know the sender or not, do not click links or
open attachments you were not expecting.
Hi Tamara,
Back on September 23 Mayor Rice met with several members of the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe to U
talk about child care services in the Florida Keys and how the ELC provides subsidy to families who meet the income
guidelines. We asked for Mayor Rice's support with the Florida legislature and have come up with a resolution that we
are requesting him to present at the next BOCC meeting. I just emailed the resolution to Mayor Rice and am going to
forward that email to you so you are aware of it as well. Should he have any questions he can talk to our CEO Evelio
Torres whenever he is available.
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CL
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Please let me know if I need to follow up again or if you find out if/when it will be on a future BOCC agenda,.
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Thank You
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Laurie Dunn, Monroe County Manager ,
tel: 305.296.5557 x 2298 1 cell: 786.397.3088 a
Early
Learning 0
Coalition
Early Educatiorii, Lifelong uccee .
CONNECT WITH US
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