Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program (VPK) provides free educational, curriculum-driven prekindergarten for all 4-year-olds in Florida regardless of family income.
The Florida Department of Education, through the Division of Early Learning, oversees the program at the State level, while the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County (ELCHC) administers the program locally. Legally operating child care programs (Private Child Care Providers, Public Schools, accredited Private Schools, Family Child Care Homes, and Faith Based Providers) may enter into a contract with the Early Learning Coalition to offer the program if they meet the contractual requirements. This gives child care programs and schools an opportunity to serve the community and also participate in quality programs and initiatives through the Early Learning Coalition.
The School Year program must be 540 instructional hours, which is usually a half-day program and the Summer program must be 300 instructional hours. Eligible Providers can set their own schedule of these VPK instructional hours, as long as they fall within the established parameters. School Year programs can be offered starting on the first day Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) begins (which is usually around August 10th) and ending by June 30th. Summer Programs can begin as early as May 1 and must end before the HCPS calendar begins for the School Year. During the School Year, many providers schedule 3 or 4 hour VPK programs and the parents choose to pay tuition for additional child care beyond the VPK hours. VPK providers can not require supplemental fees associated with the VPK program.
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If you would like to become a VPK Provider or you would like to learn more, please fill out the information below and a ELCHC team member will reach out to you.
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6302 E. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd.
Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33619
(813) 515-2340
Hours of Operation
Mon-Fri: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sat-Sun: Closed.
Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) services provided by the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County are available to all families residing within Hillsborough County. We are committed to ensuring that every family has access to resources, information, and support to find high-quality child care options that meet their specific needs.
Funding Generously Provided by the Following Funders:
Proudly Celebrating Our Achievements:
Learn about new opportunities with the ELCHC and hear the latest news in all things early childhood education with our weekly newsletter.
Dear Educators, We regret to inform you that we will no longer be providing Livescan Background Screenings at the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County. However, we have compiled a list of local vendors to assist you with your screening needs.
Please feel free to contact any of these vendors to schedule appointments. Thank you for your understanding and continued commitment to the safety of our community’s children.
All registrations for IECP learning events and workshops are completed online. Registrations are received on a first-come, first-served basis and seating is limited. An account to our online platform is required for all learning event registrations regardless of cost or type of payment used.
Payment, if required, can be made online at the time of registration.
Registrants have up to 48 hours before a scheduled learning event to cancel. A refund will be made to the online account on file.
The event sponsor reserves the right to cancel a learning event due to low registration. If a session is cancelled, those registered will be contacted by email and notified of the cancellation. A credit will be applied to the online account on file.
You are encouraged to log on virtually or arrive in person 5-10 minutes prior to the start time of your learning event. Participants arriving more than 15 minutes late WILL NOT BE ADMITTED TO THE SESSION. Partial in-service credit may be offered, if applicable. Make-up sessions WILL NOT BE OFFERED for any learning event.
The IECP and ELCHC shall not discriminate against any person because of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, disability/handicap, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, or age in any aspect of a learning event, training workshop or professional development. The ELCHC also reasonably accommodates individuals with disabilities, handicaps and/or religious beliefs.
Any person with a disability/handicap requiring reasonable accommodations should call 813.515.2340 no later than seven business days prior to the scheduled learning event.
The ELCHC strives to protect the privacy of learners that attend our learning events. Because each learner must register through our online learning platform, each record is restricted from public access. Learners can obtain a copy of their certifications as well as their own demographic/contact information provided. For online support, learners may call 813.515.2340 for assistance accessing their records. Learners are required to verify their Identification at all learning events by showing a state or government issued ID with photograph.
Individuals who participate in ELCHC’s learning events have the right to know about the proprietary interest a trainer/ instructor may have in a product or service prior to attending. All trainers/instructors are required to disclose proprietary interest in any produce, instrument, device, service and/or materials discussed at an event training, program, or workshop, as well as the source of any compensation related to the presentation.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) may be awarded for all learning events three hours or longer in duration. Learning events less than three hours will be awarded in-service hours upon completion. CEUs will be awarded upon successful completion of the learning event. To successfully complete the learning event, learners must arrive on time, attend all required sessions, be an active participant and complete all related assignments and/or surveys as defined by the trainer/instructor. Online training must have an engagement score of 75% or more. For all online training – CAMERAS MUST BE ON – NO EXCEPTIONS. Participant’s names for online training must match the name provided at registration. Any required assignments or surveys will be outlined in the Training Description on our online platform. Learners are encouraged to contact trainers/ instructors with any questions and/or clarification needed regarding the successful completion of assignments or surveys. In-service hours will be awarded in place of CEUs if the learner does not meet the requirements of successful completion as defined by the instructor/trainer.
* Trainings may be recorded for educational purposes.
To earn an achievement bonus, you must be teaching in Hillsborough County and meet all the requirements of the course, including pre/post assessments, homework assignments, reflection, and LMS instructor evaluation (if applicable). Each individual is limited to four training achievement bonuses per training cycle, and bonuses will not be given for previously completed coursework. Additionally, a W9 form must be submitted, and the address on the form must match the address on your LMS account. If you have any questions, please contact Abbey Landa at alanda@elchc.org.
Upon the successful completion of a learning event/training participants will receive a Certificate of Completion that can be retrieved from their individual online LMS account.
All learning events/training sessions are designed for adult audiences. We ask that all registrants make the necessary childcare arrangements to meet the minimum requirements for participation in the learning event. Childcare is not available.
