COVER LETTER

Dear Parent/Guardian:

The Early Learning Coalition of St. Lucie County and Child Care Resource and Referral are pleased to be of assistance with your early care and education needs. We share your concern for finding quality child care and hope the information provided is helpful to you. It is crucial to choose a provider who meets the needs of your child and with whom you feel comfortable. A list of St. Lucie County providers is available here.

We recommend that you contact the providers on your referral list to arrange interviews and visits to the child care facilities. We have also provided a link with a checklist for “Choosing Quality Child Care” that will assist you in knowing what to look for and what questions to ask. Be sure to discuss the specific needs of your child and the providers’ philosophies and policies to make sure they are compatible with your own ideas and values.

Once you have identified a provider of choice, we encourage you to contact the Department of Children & Families Licensing Unit at 772-467-3177 or 337 North 4 th Street, Fort Pierce, FL 34950 to obtain information on the provider’s history, including any complaints that may have been filed or any citations issued. You may also locate DCF licensing reports for providers at the following public accessible website:

http://www.myflorida.com/childcare.

Please note these providers are not rated or recommended by Child Care Resource and Referral. The Resource and Referral database includes all legally operating early care and education providers meeting all state and county licensing or registration requirements. We do not make judgments on the quality of the providers contained in the database. Each family’s situation is unique; therefore, you can best determine which early care and education provider is right for your family.

We urge you to carefully interview potential providers and check references before placing your child in care and to continue monitoring your child’s care situation. It is important that you communicate regularly with your early care and education provider regarding your child’s daily experiences and activities and that you observe your child’s reactions to their caregiver and whether they seem to be happy while in care.

We provide a packet of information for families requesting the Child Care Resource and Referral services, and we have made much of this information available to you for review and/or download. Follow the page links listed under “Parent Info Package”.

• “A Family Guide for Early Education and Child Care Options” Brochure
• Florida KidCare Insurance Information
• Gold Seal Information
• Checklist for Choosing Quality Child Care
• Licensing Requirements
• Florida Directory of Early Childhood” Brochure
• Tax Credit Information
• Community Resource Phone Listing
• Providers List

If you have any questions or need any additional help, please contact us at 772-595-6363 or 1-866-590-6363. If you have any comments or concerns regarding services you received, please feel free to contact The Office of Early Learning, Child Resource and Referral network at 1-866-357-3239 (1-866-FL Ready)