School Readiness

Any legally operating child care provider or approved informal provider in Florida may be eligible to offer the Florida School Readiness program. Certification consists of entering into a School Readiness contract with the Early Learning Coalition, as well as attending an orientation session.

School Readiness families are determined eligible by our Family Services staff and paperwork is provided to both the parent and provider. A provider should never accept children into their program without the appropriate paperwork.

Providers are responsible for collecting parent fees and overage charges from the parent on a regular basis. Families should be required to stay current as we can hold parents accountable only for parent fees within the most recent 30 day period. The Early Learning Coalition cannot hold parents accountable for monies owed outside of parent fees.

Provider Contracts

It is necessary to attend an orientation to become certified as a School Readiness provider. View Provider Events for a schedule of orientation sessions available. The School Readiness contract and application are available for download on our Provider Forms page. You can turn in these forms at your orientation session.

For more information about becoming a School Readiness provider in Manatee County, contact the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County’s Compliance Department at (941) 757-2900 extension 270.