Florida's Early Learning Roadmap
Florida's Early Learning Roadmap is an actionable roadmap for the future of early learning policy and funding in our state. It launched in Fall 2023, following nearly two years of collective work through The Future Project, an unprecedented effort bringing parents of children aged 0-5, early childhood educators, child care center owners and directors, advocates and policy experts together on behalf of Florida's children.
Download: Florida's Early Learning Roadmap
Florida’s Early Learning Roadmap includes 41 recommendations covering four key components:
- Thriving Parents: All parents – including mothers, fathers, and other caregivers – and families can access the resources and support they need to help their children thrive, including mental health resources, caregiver support systems, and affordable year-round early learning that meets the unique developmental needs of their children.
- Impactful Learning Experiences: Every teacher has the tools to provide every child with engaging, hands-on, high-quality, developmentally appropriate, differentiated, and purposefully playful early learning experiences that foster the magic of exploration and learning as the foundation for healthy early childhood development and school readiness.
- A Respected Workforce: The teachers and directors who are the backbone of the early learning system are recognized, respected, and supported with training, competitive compensation, and benefits that support them in making a living as a career early learning professional.
- A Well-Coordinated, Resourced, & Data-Driven System: All parents, educators, and other family service providers work together, communicate regularly, and coordinate effectively in an aligned, well-funded, data-driven, accessible, and effective early learning system that supports the growth, development, and overall success of all young children in Florida.ntic feedback loops).
Our Advisory Board
Our Advisory Board is comprised of a diverse group of Floridians. They represent:
- Parents and families with young children impacted by the state's early learning services
- Key state and regional agencies that impact and/or administer the current public early childhood systems
- Child care and health providers who support essential educational, health, developmental, or social-emotional supports for young children and their families
- Advocates and leaders who work on early childhood systems and policies in Florida
They work together to strategize and implement the recommendations in Florida's Early Learning Roadmap.
Advisory Board Members
- Cari Miller, Division of Early Learning, Tallahassee
- Damon Francis, Parent, Spring Hill
- Dawn Montecalvo, Guadalupe Center, Immokalee
- Denise Brown, Parent, Jacksonville
- Denise Liriano, Parent, Spring Hill
- DJ Lebo, Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia, Daytona Beach
- Dr. Herman Knopf, Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies, UF., Gainesville
- Dr. Sharon Miller, King's Kid Christian Academy of Tampa, Inc., Tampa
- Erin Smeltzer, Children's Forum, Tallahassee
- Heather Siskind, Jack and Jill Center, Ft. Lauderdale
- Jennifer Coleman, Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County, Palm Beach
- Jesyca Blaine, Parent, Tavares
- Kayla Miranda, Parent, Crawfordville
- Kimberly Singer, Head Start, Statewide
- Kissha Ballard, Kissha's Little Ones Child Care, LLC., Orlando
- Madeleine K. Thakur, The Children's Movement, Miami
- Maria Somera, Parent, Sarasota
- Mary Huffstetter, St. Lucie Public Schools, Port St. Lucie
- Mia Jones, Children's Trust of Alachua County, Gainesville
- Michelle Forrest, Community Action Program Committee - Head Start, Pensacola
- Miracle Wilson, Parent, Daytona Beach
- Molly Grant, Association of Early Learning Coalitions, Tallahassee
- Nadeige Theresias-Josil, Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center, North Miami
- Paloma Prata, Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions, Tallahassee
- Pamela Hollingsworth, Early Learning Coalition of Miami Dade and Monroe, Miami
- Paula Moujalli, United Way, Miami
- Russell Scoates, Small World Daycare & Learning Center, Gainesville
- Sandi Bisceglia, Former Elementary Teacher and Pre K-8 Principal, Florida Keys/Islamorada
- Sasha Pack, Early Childhood Educator, Palm Coast
- Simone McDaniel, Parent, Tallahassee
- Tamara Tener, Florida Family Child Care Home Association, Crystal River
- Toshiko Pinckney, Early Childhood Educator, St. Petersburg