The first five years of a child's life are critical to their lifelong development. A young child's earliest experiences and environments, at home, at school, and in the community, set the stage for their future development and school and life success.

The ELCHC and all of its partners work toward making certain that every child in Hillsborough County has access to the supports and resources they need to be ready to enter school and succeed. The ELCHC does this by supporting organizations, programs, and initiatives that support and enhance a child's:

• Physical well-being and motor development
• Social and emotional development
• Approaches to learning
• Cognition and general knowledge

School Readiness Financial Assistance

The ELCHC's School Readiness Program can help working parents with the cost of child care (frequently called a child care subsidy). These services include extended-day, extended-year, and school age care for children to support parents in becoming financially self-sufficient. A family's gross income (income before taxes, insurance, and any other deductions are subtracted) is used to determine eligibility. Both earned income (for example, wages) and unearned income (for example, child support, Social Security payments, Unemployment Insurance) are counted.

Generally, families with children who are 10 years old or younger may receive help through the School Readiness Program. However, a family may receive a child care subsidy for a child up to the age of 18 if the child requires extra care due to an acute or chronic physical or mental condition.

Depending on the family income, the family will pay a monthly fee for each child for whom you receive financial assistance. The co-payment is based on family income and family size. Parents are expected to make their co-payment directly to the child care provider.

All families eligible for School Readiness financial assistance may select the provider of their choice. However, ELCHC will only pay for child care if the child care provider has been approved by the Coalition. Parents can select providers from the following:

• Licensed Child Care Centers
• Licensed Family Child Care Homes
• Informal Care, which is care provided by a family member such as a grandparent, aunt or uncle (NOTE: There are some restrictions on this type of care).
• License Exempt Center, which is a center that is not required to be licensed by state law.