Child Care Provider Storm Reimbursement Guidelines
Dear Early Care and Education Partners,
The storm may be over, but we understand that your business concerns continue to linger. At the Early Learning Coalition (ELC) of Pinellas County, we want to assure you that we understand your worries. We are committed to advocating for you and addressing your questions with the urgency they deserve.
Dear Early Care and Education Partners,
The storm may be over, but we understand that your business concerns continue to linger. At the Early Learning Coalition (ELC) of Pinellas County, we want to assure you that we understand your worries. We are committed to advocating for you and addressing your questions with the urgency they deserve.
ELC OFFICES OPEN
ELC is now fully operational, with services available in person and online! Some activities, including CLASS assessments, have temporarily been postponed while providers and children settle in. ELC staff will let you know when they resume.
TEMPORARY CLOSURES
The SR and VPK providers must report temporary closures to the ELC via the Provider Portal Temporary Closure Process by Friday, 10/18/2024. The ELC must approve all the temporary closure requests before the provider submits the site’s monthly SR and VPK electronic attendance. Please follow the instructions in the Provider Portal User Guide found in the frequently used links portion of your dashboard page.
Payments for SR Closures
The ELC will process payments to the SR providers for temporary closures according to Rule 6M-4.501. SR providers will be paid for closures between 10/8/2024 and 10/15/2024 due to Hurricane Milton without additional documentation. Any additional temporary closure dates beyond the above-stated dates must be requested and submitted to ELC in a separate temporary closure request.
Payments for VPK Closures (Rule 6M-8.204(4) and (5).
VPK providers may be paid for up to five days for a temporary closure in a program year. Any additional days the provider is closed will need to be made up by adjusting their calendar. Instead of accepting reimbursement for a temporary closure, the provider may extend their VPK program to make up for all instructional days missed due to the temporary closure.
SR Child Absences (Rule 6M-4.501)
Children are not counted absent during a temporary closure. Regular attendance requirements apply when a program is open.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your reimbursement and contract specialist here. Your input is invaluable to our mission, and we are here to listen and support you.
ADDITIONAL PROVIDER FUNDING
We currently do not have grant funds to assist with salaries or repairs. However, we are working to potentially secure funds to assist providers with recovery efforts. There is no guarantee or timeline, but we are trying. Staff will not be able to answer questions about the potential for additional funding. We will let you know if opportunities become available.
Other Resources
Follow our Facebook page for community resources offered by our partners. The www.childrensmovementflorida.org has also created an excellent collection of 2024 Hurricane Relief Resources.
NAPTIME NEWS
Join us for a discussion this Friday at 1 pm, where ELC Pinellas CEO Lindsay Carson will be available to talk about storm recovery efforts and other industry news. If you still need to be part of our ELC Pinellas Child Care Professionals Facebook group, please sign up to join us here.
VIRTUAL TOWNHALL MEETING POSTPONED
Due to Hurricane Milton, we had to cancel our virtual town hall meeting, during which we would analyze survey data and collaborate on finding solutions. We will send you a message shortly with details about the new date, time, and topics we plan to discuss. We look forward to your input to help your businesses grow.