Board of Directors

Emily Shaffer-Hudkins

Emily Shaffer-Hudkins

Program Director
Bay Area Early Steps
Board Member

Dr. Emily Shaffer-Hudkins brings over 15 years of experience as a clinical child and adolescent psychologist to her role on faculty with the University of South Florida. As an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at USF, Dr. Shaffer-Hudkins is also the Program Director for the local Part C early intervention program, Bay Area Early Steps This program provides developmental evaluation and early intervention services to young children under the age of three across Hillsborough and Polk counties with a developmental delay or risk of delay.

Dr. Shaffer-Hudkins has extensive clinical and research experience with development in early childhood and supporting parent-child relationships. She specializes in assessment for autism in toddlers and evidence-based practices to promote skills and learning in young children with ASD. A main focus of her work is enhancing developmental skills in young children such as feeding and social-emotional skills, through a relationship-based coaching model for intervention. She has published research in these areas, as well as given numerous trainings to community agencies and at state and national conferences. She is passionate about striving to reach all families that need support for their children and providing care with family-centered, equitable approaches.

She greatly values her role in teaching and supporting learners both at the pre-service level across disciplines such as psychology, speech and language pathology, and social work, as well as professionals across fields that work with young children. Dr. Shaffer-Hudkins also serves on other local, state, and regional committees, including as a board member for Polk County Early Learning Coalition, and as president of the Florida Consortium for the Advocacy of Infants and Toddlers.

Dr. Shaffer-Hudkins received her Bachelors in Psychology and Public Health from Central Michigan University and her Masters and Doctorate in Pediatric School Psychology from the University of South Florida. She is the proud mom of three boys and as a parent is reminded firsthand of the importance of providing high-quality and comprehensive family supports, learning environments, and caring communities for all children and families.

Recognition/Awards:

ELCHC will be closed on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026

We will resume regular business hours from 8 AM to 5 PM
on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.

Happy Thanksgiving from us to you!
Our office and lobby will be closed from November 26
to November 28.
We will resume regular business hours on Monday, December 1.

REGISTRATION

All registrations for IECP learning events and workshops are completed online. Registrations are received on a first-come, first-served basis and seating is limited. An account to our online platform is required for all learning event registrations regardless of cost or type of payment used.

PAYMENT

Payment, if required, can be made online at the time of registration.

REGISTRATION CANCELLATION POLICY

Registrants have up to 48 hours before a scheduled learning event to cancel. A refund will be made to the online account on file.

LEARNING EVENT CANCELLATION POLICY

The event sponsor reserves the right to cancel a learning event due to low registration. If a session is cancelled, those registered will be contacted by email and notified of the cancellation. A credit will be applied to the online account on file.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

You are encouraged to log on virtually or arrive in person 5-10 minutes prior to the start time of your learning event. Participants arriving more than 15 minutes late WILL NOT BE ADMITTED TO THE SESSION. Partial in-service credit may be offered, if applicable. Make-up sessions WILL NOT BE OFFERED for any learning event. 

ANTI – DISCRIMINATION POLICY

The IECP and ELCHC shall not discriminate against any person because of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, disability/handicap, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, or age in any aspect of a learning event, training workshop or professional development. The ELCHC also reasonably accommodates individuals with disabilities, handicaps and/or religious beliefs.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)

Any person with a disability/handicap requiring reasonable accommodations should call 813.515.2340 no later than seven business days prior to the scheduled learning event.

LEARNER SECURITY POLICY

The ELCHC strives to protect the privacy of learners that attend our learning events. Because each learner must register through our online learning platform, each record is restricted from public access. Learners can obtain a copy of their certifications as well as their own demographic/contact information provided. For online support, learners may call 813.515.2340 for assistance accessing their records. Learners are required to verify their Identification at all learning events by showing a state or government issued ID with photograph.

PROPRIETARY INTEREST POLICY

Individuals who participate in ELCHC’s learning events have the right to know about the proprietary interest a trainer/ instructor may have in a product or service prior to attending. All trainers/instructors are required to disclose proprietary interest in any produce, instrument, device, service and/or materials discussed at an event training, program, or workshop, as well as the source of any compensation related to the presentation.

CEU AWARD POLICY

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) may be awarded for all learning events three hours or longer in duration. Learning events less than three hours will be awarded in-service hours upon completion. CEUs will be awarded upon successful completion of the learning event. To successfully complete the learning event, learners must arrive on time, attend all required sessions, be an active participant and complete all related assignments and/or surveys as defined by the trainer/instructor. Online training must have an engagement score of 75% or more. For all online training – CAMERAS MUST BE ON – NO EXCEPTIONS. Participant’s names for online training must match the name provided at registration.  Any required assignments or surveys will be outlined in the Training Description on our online platform. Learners are encouraged to contact trainers/ instructors with any questions and/or clarification needed regarding the successful completion of assignments or surveys. In-service hours will be awarded in place of CEUs if the learner does not meet the requirements of successful completion as defined by the instructor/trainer.
* Trainings may be recorded for educational purposes.

ACHIEVEMENT BONUS

To earn an achievement bonus, you must be teaching in Hillsborough County and meet all the requirements of the course, including pre/post assessments, homework assignments, reflection, and LMS instructor evaluation (if applicable). Each individual is limited to four training achievement bonuses per training cycle, and bonuses will not be given for previously completed coursework. Additionally, a W9 form must be submitted, and the address on the form must match the address on your LMS account. If you have any questions, please contact Abbey Landa at alanda@elchc.org.

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

Upon the successful completion of a learning event/training participants will receive a Certificate of Completion that can be retrieved from their individual online LMS account.

CHILD CARE

All learning events/training sessions are designed for adult audiences. We ask that all registrants make the necessary childcare arrangements to meet the minimum requirements for participation in the learning event. Childcare is not available.