The purpose of the Early Learning Coalition of Seminole (ELC), now in its 19th year, is to invest in the future of our community, by investing in the lives of our children through the provision of quality early education and child care. By providing families with financial assistance for child care, we help to educate the next generation, which translates to higher employment and self-sufficiency for Seminole County families. In addition, we help all families with locating child care providers based on their needs, preference and available resources. We also offer developmental screenings to make sure children are reaching appropriate milestones as well as free vision and hearing screenings for children aged 0-4. Research has proven that early childhood education is essential for a child’s development of critical skills and provides a foundation for future success. We aim to improve opportunity and reduce stress on parents by offering affordable child care, which allows them to better contribute to the community while strengthening the life trajectory of the next generation. Through our partnerships with local agencies, we are able to fulfill our purpose by providing additional early intervention services such as trainings and evaluations for child care teachers and guidance for caregivers on locating early intervention resources. Providing these resources helps to alleviate the need for more expensive interventions later in a child’s life and save taxpayer dollars while boosting the local economy. Contact us for more information on how you can donate, partner with us or find out more about our programs and services by calling our Communications Specialist, Cheyenne McGregor at (407)-960-2462.