Child Care WAGE$® FLORIDA Project
-Palm Beach County
To be eligible for at least one six-month supplement payment during the fiscal year, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Work in a licensed or licensed exempt Quality Improvement System (QIS) early care and education program (center or family child care home)
- Work with a consistent group of children birth to five years of age for at least 20 hours a week in a child care program classroom (Directors may work a minimum of 10 hours a week in the classroom)
- Have one of the education levels listed on the scale (from a regionally accredited college)
- Work at least six month in the same eligible early care and education program (for a minimum of one year for first check)
- Be employed at this same program at the time of employment confirmation
Frequently Asked Questions
The Child Care WAGE$® Florida Project is designed to increase stability and improve child care quality by reducing turnover and encouraging continued education of child care practitioners (teachers, assistant teachers in centers and family child care homes). This program provides education based salary supplements for low to moderate wage earners who work with young children ages birth to five.
The Child Care WAGE$® Florida Project in Palm Beach County is funded by the Children's Services Counsel through a contract with Palm Beach Community College. The Children's Forum is the licensee for Child Care WAGE$® in Florida and currently administers this program in 13 participating counties in partnership with local funders.
Child care practitioners working directly with children for at least 20 hours per week earning less than $14.00 per hour may be eligible for a salary supplement if they have some formal child care training and/or education beyond a high school diploma(Note: Directors may work a minimum of 10 hours a week in the classroom). The child care center or family child home where they work must participate in Palm Beach County's Quality Improvement System (QIS).
The value of each salary supplement is determined by the level of education and the position held by the child care practitioner. For example, a teacher or family child care provider is eligible for a $450 annual supplement for possessing a national Child Development Associate (CDA) credential and can earn $1,500 per year with an AS or AAS in Early Childhood Education. The amount of supplement increases as the level of education increases. Wage supplements for part-time practitioners are prorated based on a 40 hour work week.
Interested child care practitioners must complete the Child Care WAGE$® Florida Project application and provide verification of: (1) current employment in a QIS care/early learning program. (2) current salary, and (3) educational credential and/or unofficial transcripts.
Each participant who meets the requirements for the Child Care WAGE$® Florida Project and remains eligible will receive a supplement check in the thirteenth month, after the completion of a full year of employment at her/his center, checks will then be issued in six-month increments. The commitment period means that the practitioner has remained continuously employed in their QIS child care or early learning center or family child care home. The commitment period is established for each individual practitioner based on the application date, date of employment and documentation of education. The amount of the salary supplement is based on one half of the annual award amount and reflects the schedule worked during the six-month period (part-time prorated or full time). All payments are contingent upon funding availability.
Before checks can be issued, project staff must verify continuous employment with their employer for the preceding six months, Once approved for a supplement payment. Participants who remain in the same child care program do not need to reapply in order to receive future supplement checks. Participants who leave their place of employment must re-establish eligibility for WAGE$.
Child care practitioners participating in the Child Care WAGE$® Florida Project may increase their supplement award amounts by successfully completing additional education. The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Scholarship Program and the SEEK scholarship both offer scholarships to the child care practitioners to earn credentials or degrees in early childhood education.
Contact Debbie Mazzota at 561-868-3670 with PBCC, or the Child Care WAGE$® Florida Project at the Children's Forum at wages@thechildrensforum.com or call toll-free (888)352-4453 or visit www.thechildrensforum.com
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You can now download the
Child Care WAGE$® Florida Application to print and send in.
Answer EVERY QUESTION on the application.
Additional documentation must accompany a completed application
(see list on page 3). If you are a family child care home provider you
will also need to fill out the
FCCH income worksheet.
The
Child Care WAGE$® Florida 2005-06 Annual Report is now available for download.
To learn more about the WAGE$ Project
contact
Qiana Carter at:
888-352-4453 or
send Qiana an email.
