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Child Care Resource & Referral |
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Early Education and Care, Inc. is part of the statewide Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) Network which is funded through the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida and AWI/Office of Early Learning. The CCR&R Network maintains the only comprehensive statewide database of child care, school readiness and school age programs.
Child Care Resource & Referral is a FREE service to the community
and offers information and referral services to all families
who are:
Seeking quality early learning programs
Seeking school-age programs and/or summer programs
Looking for work/family solutions
Interested in Voluntary Prekindergarten
Needing assistance finding additional community resources
Early Education and Care, Inc. provides families with computer
generated listings of legally operated programs (see below for
types), which meet the needs of both parent and child. We match
programs with family needs and give detailed information about
individual programs in the form of referrals to use to contact
and visit program sites. We do not license, endorse, or recommend
any particular program or type of program. It is suggested that
parents visit several programs to determine which one best serves
the needs of their family.
Early Education and Care, Inc. also provides families the tools
they need on finding and maintaining quality, affordable and accessible
programs. See Quality Indicators below for more information.
Contact Information/Hours of Operation
For Bay County:
Early Education and Care, Inc.
450 Jenks Avenue
Panama City, FL 32401
(850) 872-7550 or (800) 768-8316
Monday thru Friday
7:00AM-5:00PM
Appointments made upon request thru 6:00PM
For Calhoun, Franklin, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties, please contact:
The Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida
200 Forest Park Circle
Panama City, FL 32405
(850) 747-5400 or (866) 269-3022
Types of Programs
For more detailed information on the following types of programs and regulations, please call the number listed above.
Child Care Centers (licensed or exempt)
Family Child Care Homes (licensed or registered)
Voluntary Prekindergarten
School-Age Child Care (licensed or exempt)
Head Start
Early Head Start
Faith-Based Programs
Quality Indicators and What to Look For:
Early Education and Care, Inc. provides families with information
and checklists to use for visiting programs and determining if
they provide quality care. Some indicators of quality care may
be:
Children look happy in the program
Teachers interact with the children on their eye-level and listen, talk and play with them
Activities are well planned, such as music, painting and dress-up play
Facility seems cheerful, clean and safe with equipment in good repair
Smaller group sizes of children
Open-door policy
It is our goal to help you choose wisely on a program for your child(ren). Choosing a quality program is one of the most important and difficult decisions you will ever make. A good setting is one that provides the environment and experiences your child needs to learn new skills and develop socially. Look for a positive and caring relationship between the program's staff and children. Your relationship with your child's program should feel comfortable and trusting. The environment should be cheerful and above all, safe. The program should include experiences and activities you consider important. You want to choose a program that fits your ideas about parenting and learning and where your child(ren) will be safe and happy.
Children with Disabilities and Special Health Care Needs
Florida's
Central Directory is a resource for families with children
who have disabilities and special health care needs. The Central
Directory provides information and referral on services available.
The Central Directory:
Provides answers and/or possible choices within your community
Provides education on disability related services
Provides advocacy role for families with disabilities and
special health care needs
Electronically routes calls to Early Steps, FDLRS/Child Find Programs
To contact the Central Directory, call (800) 654-4440 or visit their website at www.centraldirectory.org.
Early Education and Care, Inc. has an Inclusion Specialist on
staff who can assist families locate available services. Please
call our office at (850) 872-7550 or (800) 768-8316.
Links of Interest
 Department of Children and Families Licensing
AWI/Office of Early Learning
Child Care Aware
NACCRRA
Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida
Florida's Central Directory
Florida KidCare
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