COVID-19 Resources
Since March 2020, the Florida Department of Education and the Division of Early Learning have allocated more than $2.6 billion in relief funds to keep early care and education providers open and able to safely serve families so they could continue to work, including our state’s first responders and health care providers. That includes more than $223 million in Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funds, more than $603 million in Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) funds, more than $153 million in Child Care and Development Block grant funds, more than $84 million in general revenue funds, more than $5 million in Preschool Development Grant Funds and more than $700 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act funding.
These funds have provided resources and support to help early child care and education providers remain open or re-open, pay parent co-pays and provide mini-grants to providers and educators to help them continue to enhance their skills and classroom environments for both safety and high-quality learning.
ARP Act Funding – Build a Better Workforce Initiatives
High-quality adult-child interactions create an environment where children can thrive. These positive interactions are the cornerstone of quality in early care and education and beginning in FY2022-23 the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS®) for program assessment, which measures these high-quality interactions around ten dimensions, is expanding from SR programs to include all VPK classrooms. DEL prioritized investments that will build the knowledge and skills that drive high-quality adult-child interactions. These investments extend from the newest teacher to the most experienced teachers and program directors. DEL’s focus is both on training the current workforce and building training and coaching capacity to ensure that efforts to upskill Florida’s early care and education workforce will be sustained long after these one-time investments have been expended. Early learning coalitions will receive additional funding to build a better workforce and strengthen adult-child interactions.
The documents below are for reference only. Do not use the application below. Contact your local early learning coalition for assistance.
ARPA Build a Better Workforce Program Guidance
ARPA Early Learning Educator/Director Bonus Application
ARPA Provider Eligibility Application
ARPA Child Success and CLASS® Observer Grant Application
ARPA Continuous Quality Improvement Grant Provider Application
ARPA Coalition Workforce Initiatives for Early Educators
ARP Act Funding – Provider Stabilization Subgrants Round 1 and 2
Early learning coalitions will receive additional funding to support private early learning/child care providers that were licensed/registered/certified/regulated by or before March 11, 2021, or that are Child Care and Development Fund eligible at the time of application and are providing early learning/child care services on the date of application to assist them in remaining open during the COVID-19 crisis. Qualifying providers must have remained open and operational, except for temporary closures due to public health, financial hardship, or other reasons related to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Providers may qualify for Provider Stabilization Subgrants – Round I and 2, in addition to any grant awarded in Phases I – VI.
The documents below are for reference only. Do not use the application below. Contact your local early learning coalition for assistance.
ARPA Child Care Stabilization Subgrant Program Guidance
ARPA Child Care Stabilization Subgrant Application Round 1
ARPA Child Care Stabilization Subgrant -- Round 1: Installment Survey
ARPA Child Care Stabilization Subgrant Application -- Round 2
ARPA Child Care Stabilization Subgrant -- Round 2: Final Payment Survey
ARPA Infrastructure Deficit Area Zip Code Listing
ARPA Child Care Stabilization Subgrant Spending and Documentation Guide
ARPA Child Care Stabilization Subgrant Provider Eligibility
ARPA Child Care Stabilization Subgrant Coalition FAQs
ARPA Child Care Stabilization Subgrant Provider FAQs
ARPA Child Care Stabilization Subgrant Calculator Round 1
ARPA Child Care Stabilization Subgrant Calculator -- Round 2
CARES Act Funding
The following document provides further details on CARES Act implementation:
Temporary Closures
DEL recognized the magnitude of the current federally declared COVID-19 crisis on a provider's operations and received authorization to pay for VPK closure days from CARES Act funds for the period of October 2020 through June 2021.
Fee Waivers - School Readiness
In accordance with DEM Order No. 20-004, all parent copays were waived, regardless of income, from May 1, 2021 - June 30, 2021 and will be paid from CARES Act funding.
First Responder Program
The Division of Early Learning (DEL) recognized child care as a vital need for parents and communities and understood the need to have access to child care services that enabled first responders, health care workers and impacted families to continue shared efforts to address the COVID-19 emergency.
Child Care for Health Care Workers and First Responders
The Division of Early Learning, along with local Early Learning Coalitions, provided child care and early learning services to 28,000 children of first responders and health care workers, at free or reduced rates, to support Florida’s response to COVID-19. The application period ended July 31, 2020, and the program ended on March 31, 2021.
Child Care for Health Care Workers and First Responders
Child Care Services for First Responders and Health Care Workers FAQs
Child Care Provider Bonus for Serving Children of Eligible First Responders and Health Care Workers
Phase I and Phase II Funding
These funds supported providers that were open on April 30, 2020, and helped re-open providers that were closed on this date and reopened or planned to reopen by August 21, 2020.
Grant Application: SR/VPK Provider
Grant Application:Non-Contracted Provider
CARES Act Phases I and II Allocations by Provider Statewide
Implementation of CARES Act Funding: Phase I and Phase II
Memo 2020-19: COVID-19 Grants to Early Learning/Child Care Providers:Phase I and Phase II
Phase III Funding
These funds supported providers, including contracted Public/Charter School providers and CLASS exempt providers, that were closed for business as of April 30, 2020, and either reopened or planned to reopen by August 31, 2020.
Grant Application: SR/VPK Provider
Grant Application:Non-Contracted Provider
CARES Act Phase III Allocations by Provider Statewide
Memo 2020-26: COVID-19 Grants to Early Learning/Child Care Providers: Phase III
Phase IV Funding
Coalitions received additional funding to support private early learning/child care providers and contracted school district providers that were classified as operational/open on October 15, 2020, and provided on-site early learning/child care services on the date of application, to assist them in remaining open.
Grant Application: All Providers
CARES Act Phase IV Allocations by Provider
CRRSA Act
The following document provides further details on CRRSA Act implementation:
Temporary Closures
DEL recognized the magnitude of the federally declared COVID-19 crisis on a provider's operations and received authorization to pay for VPK closure days from CRRSA Act funds for the period of July 2021 through June 2022.
Phase V Funding
Coalitions received additional funding to support private early learning/child care providers and contracted school district providers that were classified as operational/open on April 1, 2021, and provided on-site early learning/child care services on the date of application, to assist them in remaining open during the COVID-19 crisis. Provider must have remained open and operational, with the exception of temporary closures due to COVID-19 or other temporary emergencies.
CRRSA Act Phase V Provider Grant Allocations Statewide
Grant Application: All Providers
Phase VI Funding
Coalitions received additional funding to support private early learning/child care providers and contracted school district providers that were classified as operational/open on September 1, 2021, and provided on-site early learning/child care services on the date of application, to assist them in remaining open during the COVID-19 crisis. Provider must have remained open and operational, with the exception of temporary closures due to COVID-19 or other temporary emergencies.
Private providers were also eligible for additional allocation for workforce incentives. Providers must expend this allocation on workforce initiatives such as recruitment/on‐boarding expenses (e.g., $250 as a signing bonus, $300 for onboarding), retention/upskilling (e.g., $500 as retention bonus after six (6) months employment and completing the 45 hours of DCF training, monthly teacher stipend that incentivizes retention and helps with increased hourly wages).
CRRSA Act Phase VI Provider Grant Allocations Statewide
Grant Application: All Providers
Coalition Workforce Initiative for Early Educators
COVID‐19 negatively impacted provider enrollment and many providers experienced a loss of staff due to COVID‐related closures of classrooms or centers. This initiative provided ELCs/RCMA the opportunity to build upon their current initiatives by applying for $35,000,000 in funding to assist early learning providers with attracting and retaining highly qualified professionals, particularly in underserved communities to be implemented in the following focus areas:
- Recruit new early educators and reward them with a financial incentive upon completion of targeted preparation,
- Upskill current early educators and reward professionals with a financial incentive for achieving specific, measurable key professional development goals, and/or
- Retain qualified professionals who have already achieved key professional development goals andremain employed for a specific period of time by providing financial incentives at determined benchmarks.
Coalition Workforce Initiatives for Early Educators Application
Coalition Program Outreach, Awareness and Family Supports
These funds supported initiatives from September 2021 through June 2022, with continued opportunities in July and August 2022 to raise awareness of the importance of high-quality early learning programs/services, developmental screenings and available supports through community events. The funds may also provide families and providers with monthly engagement materials, including books, to promote early literacy activities.
Rising K Program
In an effort to minimize potential loss of learning due to school and private prekindergarten program closures in spring 2020, the Rising Kindergarten (Rising K) program is based on practices that produce the greatest gains, targeted to support students with the most significant pre-academic and academic need.
Memorandum of Understanding Amendment
2020 Rising Kindergarten Program Application
2020 Rising Kindergarten Program Application Budget
2020 Rising Kindergarten Program Funding Allocation
