A STAKEHOLDER INCENTIVE PROPOSAL
Child Care and Development Program Provider Incentive Proposal
There are four elements of an early learning system that research demonstrates
meaningfully support child development: accreditation, teacher-child interactions,
curriculum and professional development to meet these higher standards.
Research supports that the structural quality of the child care environment
(physical environment, staffing, health and safety requirements) and process
quality (adult-child interactions, curriculum) are integral to ensuring positive child
outcomes; effective professional development helps improve both structural and
process quality. Florida has the opportunity to initiate new performance activities
that align these components, which will produce meaningful outcomes through
improved teacher knowledge and skills, which will result in approximately:
1) 10,000 young children in Florida at highest risk of school failure having
access to higher quality early learning programs, as measured by a
research-based program assessment tool that is highly correlated with
improved children’s outcomes;
2) 1,500 practitioners receiving public funds having access to professional
development through Early Learning Florida. Upon demonstration of
mastery of skills highly correlated with improved program quality and
children’s outcomes, providers will receive mastery-based stipends;
3) 500 centers and family child care homes having access to financial
incentives to support improvement of program quality, as measured by a
research-based program assessment tool that is highly correlated with
improved children’s outcomes; and
4) Thousands of parents accessing higher quality early learning programs
that are more affordable.
A voluntary pilot would be implemented in 2014-2015 to provide performance
incentives to early learning programs that provide higher quality programs;
participants will be required to complete online professional development through
Early Learning Florida and the research-based adult-child interaction performance
measure. An evaluation will measure the impact on program quality, adult-child
interactions and practitioner knowledge and skills. This pilot would be available
statewide to ensure adequacy of sample size.
Components of the Pilot
Support for Structural Quality- Maintain existing opportunities for child care
providers to achieve and sustain structural quality through Gold Seal
Accreditation, which provides up to a 20% differential for Gold Seal Accredited
programs. By continuing to fund the Gold Seal differential child care providers are
able to maintain effective learning environments and strong management of
programs. Programs that are Gold Seal Accredited will be given preference for pilot
participation.
Support for Process Quality- Authorize additional payment incentives and direct
funding of up to a 15% differential to child care providers participating in the pilot
that implement targeted quality practices. Adult-child interactions and
implementation of a developmentally appropriate, individualized curriculum
improve overall quality and children’s outcomes. The additional differential
payments would support:
1) A 10% payment differential for high quality adult- child interactions.
A research-based tool would be completed by a reliable and trained
observer coordinated by local early learning coalitions. The observation
results will be used by each program to make data-driven quality
improvement.
2) A 5% payment differential for programs utilizing a curriculumbased assessment to meet the individual learning needs of children.
Participating providers would complete curriculum-based observations at
least three times a year to better meet the development and learning
needs of each child. Participating early learning programs would use the
results to inform care and instruction and provide information to families
on children’s development and learning.
Early Learning Coalitions will be responsible for the collection of this data and will
provide it to the University of Florida’s Lastinger Center for evaluation of the pilot.
Strategic Professional Development- Utilize the Early Learning Florida online
system. The University of Florida’s Lastinger Center will provide competencybased, standards aligned professional development through online and blended
opportunities throughout the state to participating programs. Teachers, directors
and family child care providers will be able to access high quality content 24/7, as
well as coaching and mentoring to support improved practice and program quality.
Participants in the pilot would be required to complete at least twenty hours of
Early Learning Florida coursework. Participants would receive stipends after
demonstrating mastery of the content and instructors/coaches would receive
stipends to support transfer of knowledge into improved practice.
Eligibility for the Pilot
To pilot this concept where there is the greatest impact and clear need, eligible
providers would be limited to those serving a significant number of child care and
development program children. This would allow the greatest opportunity to
maximize impact and for the state to collect important data on the piloted system
components. To be eligible for the pilot program, child care providers must have at
least 30% of children enrolled as of July 1st funded by child care and development
program funding and not have incurred any level 1 licensing or accreditation
violations within the preceding year unless a waiver from the violation has been
granted by the Office of Early Learning. Priority for participation in the pilot will be
given to Gold Seal Accredited providers. Providers will be selected by the early
learning coalitions on a first come, first serve basis.
Principles of the Pilot
 Participating providers must attain specific benchmarks throughout the
program year. The pilot would include specific quarterly requirements for
providers to continue to receive a differential payment;
 To target providers in high poverty areas, the pilot would allow for a high
need differential for child care providers. The differential would be granted
to a provider whose enrollment is made up of 50% of children that receive
child care and development funding and are located in a poverty tract as
defined by the most recent census data. This payment differential may not
exceed the average market rate of the early learning coalition, but may
exceed the provider’s private pay rate to maintain all three performance
benchmarks (Gold Seal Accreditation, Adult-Child Interactions, and
Curriculum-Based Assessment) and to ensure quality services to Florida’s
most vulnerable children; and
 To ensure that parents are informed, the early learning coalitions would
have the ability to disseminate information to parents regarding any
program’s participation in any of the performance benchmarks.
Funding Methodology
Funds for the administration, support, implementation, and monitoring of the child
care and development program incentive pilot program will be distributed to the
early learning coalitions as an independent allocation through the current
allocation methodology. Given eligible providers must serve a significant
percentage of School Readiness children, this will ensure adequacy of funding in
each community for the pilot and direct funds to where there is greatest need.
Funds for Early Learning Florida will be allocated to the University of Florida’s
Lastinger Center.
In Brief
Outcomes:
The pilot will result in higher quality care in 500 child care and development
programs by training 1,500 practitioners benefiting 10,000 young children at
highest risk of school failure. Evaluation of the pilot will be conducted by the
University of Florida’s Lastinger Center and will be measured by a research-based
program assessment tool and practitioner demonstrated mastery of skills both
highly correlated with improved program quality and children’s outcomes.
Eligibility:
 Providers must serve 30% SR as of July 1 based on total enrollment and have
a demonstrated history of meeting health and safety standards
 For high need, must serve 50% SR as of July 1 based on total enrollment and
have a demonstrated history of meeting health and safety standards
 Priority for participation given to Gold Seal Accredited programs
Benefits:
 Providers will receive a 10% differential for high quality adult-child
interactions
 Providers will receive a 5% differential for programs utilizing a curriculumbased assessment to meet the individual learning needs of children
 Practitioners will receive stipends after demonstrating mastery of the
training content
 Providers meeting the high-need differential requirement and quality
standards of Gold Seal Accreditation, Adult-Child Interactions, and
Curriculum-Based Assessment will receive increased reimbursement rates
not to exceed the average market rate of the early learning coalition
Funding Distribution:
 Current methodology directly to Early Learning Coalitions
 Professional Development to the University of Florida’s Lastinger Center