What is School Readiness (SR)? (2024)

Florida’s School Readiness Program (SR) offers financial assistance to eligible low-income families for early education and care so they can become financially self-sufficient and their young children can be successful in school in the future. Even before children attend prekindergarten, they gain from experiences that help them enter school ready for kindergarten. Services vary based on individual needs and range from developmental screening to child assessments for children ages birth to school-age. The SR program is funded primarily by the federal Child Care and Development Fund Block Grant. The Division of Early Learning (DEL) is the lead administrator for the SR program at the state level and partners with 30 local early learning coalitions statewide and Redlands Christian Migrant Association to deliver SR services and supports statewide.

For an overview of School Readiness, check out the SR Fact Sheet in English (PDF) and SR Fact Sheet in Spanish (PDF).

Benefits of SR:

  • Help prepare young children to start kindergarten ready to learn.
  • Helps working families afford high-quality early learning services.
  • Keeps parents in the workforce and/or participating in educational or training activities.
  • Provides parents information about child development, early childhood screenings and family well-being.
  • Parents can choose from private centers and schools, public schools, and family childcare homes.

Who is Eligible for SR?

  • Parent(s) must be working or participating in an educational activity such as attending college or trade school at least 20 hours per week.
  • Gross income must be at or below 150 percent of federal poverty level for family size.
  • Families must pay a copayment for child care based on income and family size.
  • Other children may be eligible if they have special needs or are at-risk of abuse, neglect or abandonment, or if their parents are homeless, victims of domestic violence or are low-income migrant families or farm workers.

How to Apply for SR?

Parents must:

To learn more about eligibility criteria, contact your county’s early learning coalitionor call the Child Care Resource and Referral Network at 1-866-357-3239.

What is School Readiness (SR)? (2024)

FAQs

What is School Readiness (SR)? ›

A child's school readiness includes five major areas: Social Development through play and friendship. Physical and Motor Development from play, sensory exploration, health, nutrition, safety and well being. Emotional Development by expressing feelings and mental wellness.

What is the meaning of school readiness? ›

School readiness is foundational across early childhood systems and programs. It means children are ready for school, families are ready to support their children's learning, and schools are ready for children.

What is the income limit for school readiness in Florida? ›

School Readiness Fee Scale
Number of Persons in FamilyMaximum Annual Gross Income to Enter School ReadinessCutoff Annual Gross Income to Stay in School Readiness
2$26,130$44,678
3$32,940$55,191
4$39,750$65,703
5$46,560$76,216
5 more rows

What is the meaning of readiness in education? ›

Readiness to learn is the child's ability to read, write, spell and do mathematics known as the three R's. The goal of such education is to teach and strengthen these basic abilities to enable students to complete given tasks.

What are elc in Florida requirements? ›

Who Is Eligible? There are three primary eligibility requirements: Parent(s)/guardian(s) must be working or participating in an educational activity such as attending college or trade school at least 20 hours/week. Gross income must be at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level for family size.

What is a readiness program? ›

The School Readiness Program (SRP) is an individualised intervention program to assist children with unique learning and behavioral challenges to transition into mainstream schooling.

What do teachers mean by student readiness? ›

Student readiness means that a student has an open mind and willingness to learn in addition to the necessarily basic skills that will allow them to learn the course material with confidence.

What is school readiness program in Florida? ›

Florida's School Readiness Program (SR) offers financial assistance to eligible low-income families for early education and care so they can become financially self-sufficient and their young children can be successful in school in the future.

Does Florida help pay for daycare? ›

Florida's School Readiness (SR) Program provides financial assistance to families with children birth to five to offset the expense of child care programs and allow parents to work or attend school. Qualifying families pay a portion of child care costs based on the family's income, household size, and other factors.

How many days can you miss with elc in florida? ›

4. Regarding child absences, the SR rule allows a child to be absent for up to 10 days (3 unexcused absences and 7 excused absences) per calendar month. See Rule 6M-4.500(4)(a), F.A.C. For VPK, a provider may be reimbursed for the full FTE if a child is absent no more than 20% of the instructional days of the month.

What are the two types of readiness? ›

  • Physical readiness. 1- Measure of ability—sensory abilities. ...
  • Emotional readiness. 1- Anxiety level. ...
  • Experiential readiness. Level of aspiration— previous failure and success. ...
  • Knowledge readiness. Refers to learners present knowledge base, the level of learning capability, and the preferable style of learning.

Which definition best describes the term school readiness? ›

“School readiness” describes the capabilities of children, their families, schools, and communities that will best promote student success in kindergarten and beyond.

Why is school readiness critical? ›

The Importance of School Readiness

Your child's first years in school will set them up for the rest of their academic career. For that reason, it's important to make sure that they're ready socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically to enter Kindergarten.

Can a 3 year old go to preschool in Florida? ›

Prekindergarten 3 is for children who are 3 years old on or before Sept. 1 of the school year when they are attending Pre-K. Children spend a full day in a safe and nurturing environment. PreK3 enhances language and communication skills, and supports cognitive, physical, social and emotional development.

What is elc eligible? ›

Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC) is a program by which the University of California identifies top-performing California high school students.

Is Pre-K free in Florida? ›

The Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program – or VPK – is a free prekindergarten program for 4 and 5-year-olds who reside in Florida.

What is the meaning of academic readiness? ›

Academic Readiness is a measure of one's preparation for the upcoming challenges posed by school and career as informed by habits of work, course grades, test results and independent projects. In other words: Do you have the skills, the perseverance, and the creativity to meet your future challenges?

What is classroom readiness? ›

Listens carefully, follows verbal directions to the best of the child's ability. Handles materials and classroom work responsibly. Shows respect for classmates, faculty and parent volunteers. Accepts correction with needed and accepts responsibility for accomplishing goals. Learns how to work in an organized manner.

What is a readiness activity? ›

Readiness activities are mental activities which activate the learners' minds in relation to the text they are going to read. They achieve this by stimulating the learners to make connections in their minds between their own lives and experience and the topic(s) of the text.

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