Approve the Local Child Care Funds Contract with Hillsborough County School Readiness Coalition, Inc., Doing Business as The Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County and School Readiness Programs (Student Services and Federal Programs Division)

This contract provides a portion of the required 6% match for the School Readiness Program making it possible to draw down $11,727,683 in federal funds. These funds provide child care and early education services for children from income eligible families. The term of this contract is October 1, 2007, through September 30, 2008. This contract allocates up to $142,000 to provide child care authorized through a referral from the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County for families in crisis and for kinship care. It also sets aside up to $95,000 to meet the match requirement of the Child Care Purchasing Pool Program for children participating in Family Support Programs funded by the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County. The remaining funds totaling $703,661 are earmarked for the required 6% match for School Readiness child care services.

Goal 5 – The District will eliminate the FCAT achievement gap by a minimum of 10 percentage points as reported by No Child Left Behind.

The contract total of $940,661 is used only for direct services to children and will provide care for approximately 3,358 children through September 30, 2008.

Each year the financial statements are audited by Hillsborough County School Readiness Coalition as prescribed by law. This funding for Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County is provided by the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County. School Readiness Program uses these funds to purchase child care in Hillsborough County. There is no district-generated revenue used for this purchase.