Issuu

FY 2020-2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Early Care & Education

Chair's Message

Distance Learning

CEO Letter

Child Care Resource & Referral

Finance Report

Provider Relations

Family Services

Governance

Community Relations

How to Help

ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

PAGE 02

INTRODUCTION Headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida, the Early Learning Coalition of the Big Bend Region, Inc (ELC) proudly serves Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, and Wakulla counties. A contracted partner with the State of Florida's Division of Early Learning, ELC is responsible for the administration of the School Readiness (SR) and Voluntary PreKindergarten (VPK) programs. ELC began operations as the Leon School Readiness Coalition in 2001 as required by the School Readiness Act- F.S. 411.01. In response to legislative requirements, the ELC has gone through several transitions, name changes, and, in 2005, expanded its service area to encompass the seven counties served today.

The Early Learning Coalition of the Big Bend's vision is that all children are prepared for success in school - it is our mission to provide leadership and advocacy that builds a community to support such. Throughout this ELC’s history, the Board and staff have strived to provide a holistic service delivery system that is responsive to the needs of families and communities while maintaining effective and efficient business practices supporting the following primary goals: Children are ready for success when they enter school; and Families have access to the quality child care services and assistance they need. The ELC staff work every day at effectively connecting over 8,000 children and their families annually to the early learning program that best meets the needs of the child and family. Working with a network of over 200 child care programs and local community partners, the ELC provides a comprehensive system of services. ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

PAGE 03

CHAIR'S MESSAGE "Our ELC team found innovative ways to connect with families, providers, and the community-at-large."

Dear Supporters of the ELC, What a year! Each of us have had to make adjustments, handle quick changes, and figure out how to make the moments work because things were changing so fast. I am proud to say our staff were troopers through these changing times, shifting processes to better serve our families and implementing a number of programs to support our providers. The Board of Directors provided guidance to the organization and were able to share their experience as new initiatives and processes were explored. We welcomed new leadership team members in this past year who hit the ground running. We were able to partner with other community organizations in order to expand our reach. Our ELC team found innovative ways to connect with families, providers, and the community. Our social media presence increased, which further helped us connect to the community.

We were fortunate to have the majority of our providers remain open and be able to care for the children in our seven counties so families could go to work and school. Our team worked to get families through the application process quickly and reduce their wait time so families could enroll their children. This past February, ELC celebrated 20 years of serving families in the Big Bend Region. In our 20 years, we have touched a number of lives through serving families, supporting providers, and advocating for community. We look forward to our next 20 years serving Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, and Wakulla county!

Dr. Tara Lynne Orlowski Acting Board Chair

ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

PAGE 04

CEO LETTER Dear ELC Community, In a year of adapting and pivoting, it felt as if there was little room for big dreams or celebrations. But we did have dreams fulfilled, and we did have victories – no matter how small. If anything, I think it taught us to seek out the good and cherish it. ELC's Annual Report is a prime example of the many accomplishments made throughout the Big Bend Region. Turning 20 was a huge moment for the ELC; it made us pause and reflect on where we’ve come from, what issues are still affecting our communities, and what we need to do to continue our legacy of being there for families and child care providers. This report highlights the contributions and impact made by the amazing ELC staff - we could not have reached this milestone without the passion and dedication that they possess. ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

The pervasive problems families face must be counteracted with support and advocacy; we make it our mission to create strong programs with over 200 child care providers and provide resources to help over 8,000 families each year.

"The impact these services provide is felt by parents, children, and teachers who can’t imagine life without us." As we have for the last two decades, we’re convening the right partners, educators, advocates, and volunteers to elevate the early learning profession, provide access to quality child care programs, and ensure family needs are

met. The impact these services provide is felt by parents, children, and teachers who can’t imagine life without us. In the last fiscal year, ELC has helped child care providers remain open or reopen in the midst of a pandemic, adjusted eligibility requirements to allow essential workers to continue the important work they provide, and alleviate the burden of child care costs for hundreds of families across seven counties. With your passion and support for what we do, we won’t stop ensuring that all children are prepared for success in school.

Lizbeth Murphy Chief Executive Officer

PAGE 05

FINANCE The Finance team continuously seeks to further the efficient management of ELC's resources and to ensure the integrity and compliance of business processes. This team is responsible for the complete cycle of financial management activities of the ELC, including managing all receipts and disbursements for the ELC, provider attendance processing, budget preparation, managing annual audits, and reporting to granting agencies . ELC received additional funds due to Florida's COVID-19 response in emergency funding for families, child care centers, and educators. These grants allowed for ELC to provide services to new families, maintain current customers despite changes in income and employment, and assist child care providers in staying open during the pandemic.

ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

PAGE 06

FINANCE REPORT FY 20-21 FEDERAL IMPACT School Readiness

$15,672,771

Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK)

$6,592,988

FY 20-21 LOCAL IMPACT* CARES LeonCARES

$3,778,797 $852,623

FY 20-21 COMMUNITY PARTNER IMPACT Untied Way of the Big Bend

$86,360

Community Human Service Partnership

$50,000

LOCAL IMPACT* The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), signed into law on March 27, 2020, provided $150 billion in direct assistance for domestic governments across the United States. These funds provided resources 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. LeonCARES, launched August 17, 2020, was funded by Leon County with Federal CARES monies and administered by ELC of the Big Bend Region as tuition assistance for qualifying Leon County families and providers. ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

PAGE 07

SCHOOL READINESS Florida’s School Readiness Program (SR) offers financial assistance to help children from lowincome families receive high-quality child care so parents can work or participate in job training. To be eligible, guardians must be working or attending a college or trade school. Additionally, the family's gross income must be at or below 150% of federal poverty level for family size. Families must pay a copayment for child care based on income and family size.

6,861

CHILDREN BENEFITTED FROM PROGRAM

SCHOOL READINESS CHILD COUNT BY COUNTY Gadsden Jefferson Leon Liberty Madison Taylor Wakulla 0

1,000

ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000 PAGE 08

VOLUNTARY PRE-KINDERGARTEN The Voluntary Prekindergarten Program (VPK) prepares early learners for success in kindergarten and beyond. VPK helps build a strong foundation for school using educational materials corresponding to various stages in a child's development. To be eligible, children must live in Florida and be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1 of the current school year. Parents can choose from private child care centers, public schools, and specialized instructional service providers.

2,456

CHILDREN READY FOR KINDERGARTEN

VPK CHILD COUNT BY COUNTY Gadsden Jefferson Leon Liberty Madison Taylor Wakulla 0 ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

500

1,000

1,500

2,000 PAGE 09

FAMILY SERVICES The Family Services team is

responsible for determining eligibility and enrolling families into the School Readiness and Voluntary Prekindergarten programs. Additionally, Family Services provides Child Care Resource and Referral complimentary services for ALL families in the Big Bend Region, regardless of income. The Family Services team focused on ELC's response to COVID relief grants provided federally and locally. New families were temporarily eligible for services and extensions. Additionally, waivers were temporarily implemented to assist families that were currently using ELC services.

ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

PAGE 10

FAMILY SERVICES EXTENSIONS & WAIVERS COVID-19 drastically affected the job market, and many ELC families were unable to start or continue paying for child care. In accordance with DEM Order No. 20-004, School Readiness co-pays were waived, regardless of income, from May 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021 and paid from CARES Act funding. Additionally, Purpose For Care (PFC) Options were temporarily redefined to allow caregivers to apply for child care assistance while searching for a job or with reduced job hours. School Readiness eligibility typically requires a caregiver to work at least 20 hours if not enrolled in school.

1,907 NEW FAMILIES ENROLLED IN SCHOOL READINESS

ESSENTIAL WORKERS On April 1, 2020, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-91, the “Safer at Home” order, which stipulated that all persons in Florida limit their personal interactions outside of their home to only those necessary to provide essential services or conduct essential activities. Notably, essential services included healthcare providers, law enforcement, public safety, and first responders.

511 ADDITIONAL FAMILIES ENROLLED THROUGH ESS 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 essential workers to address the COVID-19 emergency. ELC provided child care assistance to support Florida’s response to COVID-19 through the Emergency Services Sector (ESS) program, wherein eligibility rates were expanded to help families that otherwise would not qualify for assistance. ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

4,115 SCHOOL READINESS CHILDREN SERVED MONTHLY PAGE 11

COMMUNITY RELATIONS Community Relations works directly with community partners to enhance awareness of the School Readiness and Voluntary Prekindergarten programs as well as our Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) services. Community Relations is also responsible for coordinating external events, maintenance of community relationships, receiving donations, and fund development. The team created new initiatives that promoted family engagement in addition to supporting our annual community events despite the limitations COVID presented. A focus was placed on the six rural counties that make up our service area to ensure that children had access to books and reading opportunities that practiced COVID safety protocols.

ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

PAGE 12

COMMUNITY RELATIONS KIDPRENEUR In an effort to answer the age-old question of summer - what are we going to do? - ELC created Kidpreneur, a learning initiative for children aged 5 - 12 to start and manage their own summer business. ELC provided business ideas, supplies, and marketing materials to over 70 children across six counties in the Big Bend Region.

SAFE SLEEP The Safe Sleep Initiative, supported by the annual RUN ELC 5K, allowed for ELC to partner with seven community partners. The program's mission was to help 100 new moms learn the SAFE SLEEP INITIATIVE

importance of safe sleep practices with resources and supplies that would allow the entire family to participate.

RUN ELC ELC hosted its 7th annual RUN ELC 5K and one-mile run to support literacy programs. Due to COVID concerns, we pivoted to a virtual race to participate in neighborhoods and local parks. Additionally, ELC created an interactive campaign entitled, “Run, Read, and Be Kind.” This seven-week campaign encouraged participants to exercise, read, and perform acts of kindness. ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

PAGE 13

COMMUNITY RELATIONS COACHING FOR LITERACY

The men’s basketball teams of both Florida State University and Florida A&M University hosted games to promote childhood reading and raise funds for local literacy work in February 2021. The fundraising organization, Coaching for Literacy, partnered with International Paper to connect communities with local basketball teams across the country in an effort to raise awareness of illiteracy with a campaign they call Fight for Literacy. Local businesses like RedEye Coffee, Whataburger, and Blaze Pizza joined in support of the fundraiser by hosting share nights to donate a portion of their sales towards the events. The Fight for Literacy campaign raised $9,600 for the organization, which was used for literacy initiatives and outreach events.

RURAL OUTREACH  Despite a global pandemic, the ELC was able to distribute more than 3,000 books to children in the Big Bend Region through various outreach efforts. ELC's Community Relations team focused on our rural counties to ensure they had adequate access to books and information about our services. March 31, 2021: Taylor County Resource Fair Distributed over 350 books to Perry Primary School students in PreK - 2nd grade. May 20, 2021: Jefferson K-12 Celebrity Reader Day Celebrities read to over 250 students pre-k – 3rd graders; a total of 319 students received free books, June 1, 2021: Madison County Graduation Tabled at Lee Elementary school VPK and Kindergarten graduations. Provided information to parents attending and provided books to 100 students.

ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

PAGE 14

ADDRESSING THE PANDEMIC WITH BOOKS Jefferson County, Florida knew all too well the effects of COVID-19 in many respects; not only had the county school reported lower reading levels, but some students experienced the loss of a loved one from the virus. Jefferson County Sommerset School is a tuition-free public charter school, catering to grades K-12. When the Early Learning Coalition of the Big Bend Region, Inc. (ELC) reached out to its administrative staff, the faculty was eager to partner for a day centered around inspiring their students to read and heal through the power of books. “Everyone knows that reading is one of the areas that kids struggle in,” explains Andre Gainey, Vice Principal of Jefferson Sommerset, “especially during the pandemic.” The ELC, with funds received through the Coaching for Literacy program, was able to create a year-end outside event that included “celebrity readers” – notable figures

ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

The coronavirus pandemic has affected millions of American children socially, mentally, and – as testing scores from the past year have indicated – academically.

from the community like the local fire department chief – to read books to classes. One of the books read, “The Secret in the Clouds,” specifically dealt with coping with loss and grief. Celebrity Readers were able to interact with the students as they read, asking questions, and explaining vocabulary words. The readings allowed for an engaging environment for children to enjoy a story and connect with their peers and community members. The highlight of the event, however, was the array of almost 400 books that ELC was able to present to the students, who were allowed to choose one to add to their personal library. Many of the books provided were featured on summer reading lists for each grade, which would prepare students for the upcoming school year. Without the support of Coaching for Literacy, the ELC would have not been able to promote literacy in such a fun, interactive way.

PAGE 15

EARLY CARE & EDUCATION The Early Care and Education team works directly with ELCcontracted child care providers on how to best support children aged birth to five years from a developmental perspective. Team members conduct hearing, vision, and developmental screens on children in the School Readiness program and provide feedback to teachers and parents regarding their children's development. When a child has a developmental concern, the team connects the family to community resources and health providers to further support the child. The team provides this same support to requests for assistance it receives through the Warm Line. This team is also responsible for implementation of the Teaching Strategies Gold assessment tool for child care providers.

ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

PAGE 16

EARLY CARE & EDUCATION SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM ASSESSMENTS During the 2018 legislative session, the Florida Legislature passed a bill (HB 1091) that requires all contracted School Readiness providers to receive a program assessment. The intent of this bill is to increase quality and accountability in the School Readiness Program. ELC's Early Care and Education (ECE) Team provides a program assessment observation, the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS®). This assessment tool measures the quality of interactions between teachers and children.

3.8-4.2

4.3-4.6

4.7-5

5.1-5.4

5.5-5.8

5.9-6.2

6.2-6.7

Research shows that positive teacher-child interactions improve child outcomes starting in early learning. School Readiness providers may receive additional funds (differential payment) per child

76%

enrolled in School Readiness based

Percentage of child

on their CLASS scores (assessment

care providers that

range 0.00 - 7.00). Additionally,

scored at least 5.00

providers implementing an

or higher

approved child assessment may be eligible for a payment differential up to 5 percent.

ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

PAGE 17

EARLY CARE & EDUCATION ASQ SCREENINGS The Ages & Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition (ASQ-3) is a developmental screening tool that pinpoints developmental progress in children between the ages of one month to 5 years. Evidence has shown that the earlier development is assessed, the greater the chance a child has to reach his or her potential.

ASQ SCREENINGS BY THE MONTH* 400

300

200

100

July

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

March

April

May

June

*In 2020-2021, ECE collected a total of 2,912 ASQ screenings. Part of the School Readiness program includes an ASQ screening, completed by the child's caregiver. The questionnaire includes assessments of the child's communication, gross and fine motor skills, problem solving abilities, and personal-social skills. If a caregiver notes a concern about the child's hearing or vision, an ECE team member can perform further

13%

Percentage of

screenings that noted a concern

assessments at no charge and/or provide a referral to a medical practitioner. ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

PAGE 18

DISTANCE LEARNING Distance Education & Research provides quality on-line and classroom trainings to ELCcontracted child care providers. The courses provided meet national CDA requirements for formal education and the Florida Early Learning & Developmental Standards regarding the acquisition of age-appropriate knowledge and skills. Our trainings assist early learning educators obtain continuing education units (CEUs) for Child Development Associate (CDA) or Florida Child Care Professional Credential (FCCPC) renewal hours or in-service hours for licensing and accreditation requirements. Distance Learning increased the number of online courses available to meet the needs of educators who were limited in the ways in which they could obtain CEUs due to COVID restrictions in addition to providing opportunities for educators to receive emotional support from ELC staff and other providers in the community. ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

PAGE 19

DISTANCE LEARNING MEETING PANDEMIC NEEDS Online learning options were imperative for providers to meet the State of Florida required credentials for early educators. Additionally, mental health was an important topic to address as it impacted both children and parents. ELC offered two courses targeting mental health: "Oops, The World Turned Upside Down! Teaching Young Children in 2021" and "Behind the Little Red Door". Along with the three hours of online training per course, participants were provided with educational materials to support social-emotional needs.

32 VIRTUAL COURSES OFFERED

SUPPORTING EDUCATORS ELC offered three courses to assist directors in meeting their director renewal credential, a mandatory requirement for all directors every five years. Infant-Toddler providers received additional support through a range of courses that met their social and emotional needs by focusing on communication, empathy, and sharing stories. Four courses were specifically provided for this target group, with 122 teachers attending the trainings.

1,139 EARLY LEARNING EDUCATORS PARTICIPATED

Pre-K and VPK teachers were offered a carousel of 22 courses for them to take advantage of during the FY 20-21. Throughout the year we offered courses to support all domains of learning and when needed allowed teachers more time to finish their coursework due to disruptions in their work schedules. We went the extra mile to support and facilitate all whom needed our help in distance education. ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

146 DIRECTORS EQUIPPED TO RENEW DIRECTOR CREDENTIALS PAGE 20

CHILD CARE RESOURCE & REFERRAL Finding the right child care setting is an important and stressful decision for families. Our Child Care Resource & Referral Program (CCR&R) connects families with early learning providers that meet the needs of their child and family. Our trained Child Care Resource & Referral Specialists help locate quality child care based on family’s specific needs and connect them with community resources such as food, medical care, workforce support, housing assistance, and financial assistance options. There are no fees or costs associated with CCR&R services. Additionally, parents can access CCR&R as many times as necessary. CCR&R is part of a statewide network funded by the Florida Division of Early Learning. In partnership with the Early Learning Coalition of the Big Bend Region, CCR&R provides free resource and referral services to all families seeking information on quality early care and education programs. PAGE 21

CHILD CARE RESOURCE & REFERRAL SUPPORTING BIG BEND FAMILIES CCR&R services include: A customized search for child care based on the criteria selected Information on rates, fees, hours, and credentials of providers Information regarding financial assistance for child care programs Educational materials for parents with questions on early childhood development Tips on how to identify quality child care Referrals to other community resources

426 UNIQUE FAMILY INTAKES

ADVOCATING FOR COMMUNITY Not only can CCR&R services help families find quality child care, but also connect them with other community resources such as food, medical care, workforce support, housing assistance, creative financial assistance options, and more.

20+ COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS ESTABLISHED OR REESTABLISHED ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

The Big Bend Region boasts a variety of community resources to help empower families to lead healthy, stable lives. ELC is continuously making connections and supporting the efforts of our community partners.

PAGE 22

PROVIDER RELATIONS The Provider Relations (PR) team works directly with potential and contracted child care providers to ensure all state requirements and state defined quality standards are met to provide School Readiness (SR) and/or Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) programs. Child care providers of the Big Bend Region range from family care centers to public schools and from specialized instructional service professionals to private and faith-based care centers.  PR staff support potential providers by providing information on how to start a child care business or how to enhance their program. Not only is the PR team responsible for contract initiation, but the monitoring of contractual and programmatic requirements set forth by The Department of Education (DOE), The Division of Early Learning (DEL), and Department of Children and Families (DCF). ELC provides training, webinars, and technical assistance to help providers continually meet these requirements. ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

PAGE 23

PROVIDER RELATIONS

235

contracted providers in seven counties* as of June 30, 2021

73%

60%

of all contracted

providers offer

School Readiness

VPK

The 2020 Florida Legislature appropriated $50 million in Child Care and Development Funds (CCDF) spread out amongst 30 early learning coalitions throughout Florida. ELC was authorized to institute a new maximum reimbursement rate for certain care levels as decided by the Division of Early Learning; these increased reimbursement rates helped child care providers receive more funding from ELC, which was significantly important during the pandemic. To ensure base provider payment rates were established at a level sufficient for child care providers to meet health, safety, quality, and staffing requirements, it was recommended that states reimburse providers at the 75th percentile of the Market Rate. While this rate increase did not get all reimbursement levels to the 75th percentile, it was a big step towards meeting the goal. ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

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PROVIDER RELATIONS CARES GRANTS PHASE I - V Since March 2020, the Florida Department of Education and the Division of Early Learning have allocated more than $1 billion in relief funds to keep early care and education providers open and able to safely serve families across the state of Florida. These funds have provided resources and support to help early child care and education providers remain open or re-open.

PHASE I These funds supported contracted and non-contracted providers that were open on April 30, 2020. Additional funds were provided to centers that also serviced infants/toddlers and children with special needs. A total of 6,480 child care facilities were open in Florida during this time. ELC distributed $889,301 to child care providers in the Big Bend Region through Phases I-III.

PHASE II These funds were allocated to coalitions to support the 2,246 contracted providers and non-contracted providers in Florida that were closed on April 30, 2020.

PHASE III 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.

PHASE IV These funds allowed ELC to support private early learning/child care providers and contracted school district providers that were classified as operational/open on October 15, 2020, and providing on-site early learning/child care services on the date of application, to assist them in remaining open. ELC distributed $230,000 to child care providers in the Big Bend Region.

PHASE V These funds allowed ELC to support private early learning/child care providers and contracted school district providers that were classified as operational/open on April 1, 2021 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. ELC distributed $1,822,500 to child care providers in the Big Bend Region. ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

PAGE 25

GOVERNANCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS The ELC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of community representatives. The Governor of Florida appoints the Chair and two other board members who must meet the same qualifications as private sector business members appointed by the ELC. The ELC is fortunate to have a dedicated and actively involved Board of Directors who are fully committed to the pursuit of quality early education and care for our children to ensure they are ready for school and ready for life.

ACTING CHAIR

VICE CHAIR

Dr. Tara Orlowski Florida Center for Interactive Media, FSU

Eddie Gonzalez Loumiet Ruvos

SECRETARY

TREASURER

Tasha Weinstein WFSU, FSU

Zana Raybon Florida Board of Professional Engineers

BOARD MEMBERS Jim McShane CareerSource Capital Region

Miatta Jalaber Department of Children and Families

Kelley Dettmer Centennial Bank

Daniel Wagnon Structure, A Real Estate IQ Firm

John Selover Panhandle Area Educational Consortium

Tomica King-Jackson (Provider Representative) Our Blessings Early Learning Center

Dr. Danny Glover, Jr. Taylor County School District Kim Sims Board of County Commissioners Chris Wade Ernst & Young, LLP

ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

Kristin Olson (Provider Representative) Advent Day School LaKysha Perkins Head Start Director

PAGE 26

HOW TO HELP DONATE TODAY

Your donation will help to support families in the Big Bend Counties of Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor and Wakulla. Funds received will be matched by Federal funds, so your investment - no matter the amount only grows. Contribution options are located on the next page.

LEADERS ARE READERS The Early Learning Coalition of the Big Bend Region, Inc. (ELC) works with early learning advocates throughout our seven-county service area, providing volunteer opportunities that highlights different professions and skillsets. Our Celebrity Reader Campaign allows for members in the community to connect with classrooms through a shared story time. ELC knows that when a child interacts with business owners, civil servants, and healthcare workers it allows them to feel connected to their community while inspiring them to dream about their own future careers. Become a Celebrity Reader by contacting our Outreach Department: outreach@elcbigbend.org

A BOOK TO LAST A LIFETIME Whether you fondly remember your grandmother reading a classic book or recall the giggles shared before bedtime with your own children as you read, you know that books create lasting, treasured memories. That's why ELC created an Amazon Book Wish List - to allow community members to spread the joy of books and reading. By ordering books through our wish list, a child in the Big Bend Region will receive a free book that highlights important ELC values like inclusion, diversity, equity, and kindness. Order a book today by visiting: tinyurl.com/ELCbookwishlist ELC ANNUAL REPORT 20-21

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SUPPORT US @ELCBigBend FUNDING PROVIDED BY:

ELCBigBend

ELC BIG BEND 2639 N MONROE STREET BLDG-C SUITE 300 TALLAHASSEE, FL 32303