EXCERPT FROM: WPTV.com
By Staff
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The new law is creating problems for early head start centers which must provide two meals a day for low income children and it is keeping at least one center from opening. House Bill 5311 took effect July first. It prohibits the state Department of Health from inspecting not just this center, but all child care center kitchens in Florida, in both new and already operating centers. Pam Davis, the Executive Director of Kids Inc., says parents should be concerned. “The fact that no one is going to be out inspecting these kitchens that are in child care centers and schools and nursing homes," Davis said. "That concerns me as a citizen. I think that’s a public health hazard.”

EXCERPT FROM: The Palm Beach Post
By Laura Green
The day-care center director learns the whole embarrassing truth often before the mother-in-law, the pastor and sometimes even before the unemployment office.

EXCERPT FROM: Tampa Bay Online
By Jeff Schmucker
BROOKSVILLE - Criticism of a proposal to limit government funding to younger children - while eliminating funding for those 6 years or older - was enough to postpone a vote Monday by board members overseeing that funding to childhood education programs.

EXCERPT FROM: St. Petersburg Times
By Tony Marrero
BROOKSVILLE — Caught between a tight budget and a roomful of angry child care providers and parents, the governing board of the Early Learning Coalition of Hernando and Pasco Counties on Monday delayed a decision on whether to cut child care subsidies for older children from low-income families.

EXCERPT FROM: Tallahassee.com
BY Tamaryn Waters
Early learning coalitions statewide are breathing a sigh of relief after successfully fighting against state budget cuts in school-readiness programs.

EXCERPT FROM: PR Log Free Press Release
By PR Log (Press Release) – Mar 29, 2010 – The Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida (ELC) is participating in the Child Care Executive Partnership Program (CCEP), helping to fill the gap in child care funding for working parents.

EXCERPT FROM: Firstcoastnews.com
By Dave Wax, Ann Butler, Erich Spivey
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Florida House Pre K-12 Appropriations Committee voted today to reduce per-student funding for pre-kindergarten by about 1 percent, rather than the originally proposed 15 percent, or $400.

EXCERPT FROM: Jacksonville.com
By Deirdre Conner
When Maribel Hernandez got the school bus postcard two weeks before her daughter headed off to Douglas Anderson School of the Arts this year, she felt her stomach drop.

EXCERPT FROM: Tallahassee.com
By Bill Cotterell
State employees are understandably reluctant to talk on the record about any developments in their offices, especially when the news is bad.

EXCERPT FROM: South Florida Sun Sentinel
By Sally Kestin
Felons and others with criminal records will have a tougher time getting day care jobs in Broward County under a measure passed Tuesday.