National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC):
800-424-2460 / www.naeyc.org

National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA):
800-505-9878

National Association of Family Child Care (NAFCC):
515-282-8192 / www.nafcc.org

Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI):
813-734-7096 / www.acsi.org

Accredited Professional Pre-school Learning Environment (APPLE):
800-322-2603 / www.faccm.org

National Accreditation Council for Early Childhood Professional Personal and Programs (NACECPPP):
703-941-4329

National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs (NACCP):
800-573-1118 / www.naccp.org

National School-Age Care Alliance (NSACA):
617-298-5012 / www.nsaca.org

Association of Christian Teachers and Schools (ACTS):
(417) 862-2781

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Middle Schools (SACS):
(352) 567-3057

Montessori School Accreditation Commission (MSAC):
(707) 938-3818 / www.montessori-msac.org

Note: Any accrediting associations interested in participating in the Gold Seal Quality Care Program may send a request for an application to the following address: Deborah Russo, Director, Florida Department of Children and Families, Child Care Program, 1317 Winewood Blvd./Bldg. 6/Room 381, Tallahassee, Fla. 32399

Getting the right services at the right time can really make a difference for children with special developmental health care needs.

Early intervention programs help assure that early intervention services and supporting resources are available for young children with special needs from birth to age three. If your child has a disability, a developmental delay (i.e. was slow to begin crawling, walking or talking), or vision, hearing, feeding or other problems that place him/her at risk for developmental delay, your family may be eligible for services through these programs.

Any infant and toddler who meets the eligibility criteria defined in Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) can be referred by families, physicians, professionals or other people in the community. IDEA is a federal program that helps the State of Florida provide family-centered, early intervention services.

Remember that a child's future can be brighter when necessary care and treatment is provided early in life.

If you are interested in referring a child to one of the Early Intervention Programs in Miami-Dade County, please contact us at one of the following phone numbers:

Early Intervention Program Miami Children's Hospital South Dade Center
17615 SW 97th Ave.
Miami, Fla. 33157
(786) 268-2611

Early Intervention Program University of Miami Mailman Center for Child Development
1601 NW 12th Ave./5th floor
Miami, Fla. 33136
(305) 243-5600

For children ages 3 to 5, free screening and evaluation services are available though the Miami-Dade County Public School (M-DCPS) system. If a child is found eligible for special education services, the services will be provided by the public school system. For more information or to refer a child, call the Florida Diagnostic and learning Resources System (FDLRS) - South at 305-274-3501. Visit us at our Web site at: http://fdlrs-south.dade.k12.fl.us

For information on screening and evaluation please click here.

Advance Behavior Consulting
5888 SW 29th St.
Miami, Fla. 33155
Phone: (305) 667-9795
Fax: (305) 669-1493

Allied Therapy Association
900 W 49th St./Suite 330
Hialeah, Fla. 33012
Phone: (305) 556-0121
Fax: (305) 556-1372
Kay Bauer

Ambilingual Association
900 W. 49th St./Suite 330
Hialeah, Fla. 33012
Phone: (305) 556-0121
Fax: (305) 556-1372
Vivian Topp

Andrea Draizar & Associates Dadeland West
10661 N. Kendall Drive/Suite 113
Miami, Fla. 33176
Phone: (305) 595-4271
Fax: (305) 595-4227

ARC Outreach Services
756 W. Palm Drive
Florida City, Fla. 33034
Phone: (305) 759-8500
Fax: (305) 754-7181
Vickie Burley

ARC Outreach Services
1025 SW 84th St./Cottage #7
Miami, Fla. 33173
Phone: (305) 759-8500
Fax: (305) 279-7801
Vickie Burley

Baptist Outpatient Center
8950 N. Kendall Drive
Miami, Fla. 33176
Phone: (305) 279-5188
Fax: (305) 270-3686
Rebecca Mojica, OTR/LCCM

Caribbean Rehabilitation Clinic
10700 Caribbean Blvd./Suite 108
Miami, Fla. 33189
Phone: (786) 242-0886
Fax: (786) 242-9731
Marisol Martinez

Center for Bilingual Speech & Language Disorders
8600 SW 92nd St./Suite 204
Miami, Fla. 33156
Phone: (305) 279-2428
Fax: (305) 596-9996
Alina de la Paz

Center for Pediatric Therapy
2801 Ponce de Leon Blvd./Suite 250
Coral Gables, Fla. 33134
Phone: (305) 448-7101
Fax: (305) 442-8730

Child Development Center at South Miami Hospital
6200 SW 73rd St./# 2 North Tower
Miami, Fla. 33143
Phone: (305) 663-5080
Fax: (305) 663-5081
James Arauz

Childrens Health and Educational Services
9420 SW 212th Terr.
Miami, Fla. 33189
Phone: (305) 255-8543
Fax: (305) 255-8543
Luis Rodriguez

Children Hearing Association
1720 Harrison St./# 8A
Hollywood, Fla. 33020
Phone: (954) 924-4422
Fax: (954) 923-9323
Leah Light
Audiology Services

Children’s Rehab Network
8585 Sunset Drive
Miami, Fla. 33143
Phone: (305) 270-9026
Fax: (305) 270-9028
Barbara Capp

Children’s Rehab Network/Homestead
14 NE Sixth St.
Homestead, Fla. 33030
Phone: (305) 245-9900
Fax: (305) 245-1560

Children’s Rehab Network/North
2727 NW 167th St.
Miami, Fla. 33056
Phone: (305) 622-7575
Fax: (305) 622-9464

Children’s Resources
8571 SW 112nd St.
Miami, Fla. 33156
Phone: (305) 596-6966
Fax: (305) 596-1186

Children’s Therapy Service
10371 W. Sample Road
Coral Spring, Fla. 33065
Phone: (954) 341-0090
Fax: (954) 341-2252
Tammy Ozery

Cora Health Services
Flamingo Physical Therapy
1830 NW 122nd Terr.
Pembroke Pine, Fla. 33026
Phone: (954) 435-5300
Fax: (954) 435-8880
Susan Borys

Cora Health Services
1893 NE Miami Garden Drive
North Miami Beach, Fla. 33179
Phone: (305) 682-0080
Fax: (305) 682-0776
Ingrid Saunderson

Dade Prosthetic- Orthotic & Physical Therapy Rehabilitation
7800 SW 87th Ave./Suite B-205
Miami, Fla. 33173
Phone: (305) 596-9821
Fax: (305) 596-9823

Debra L. Forcina
8001 SW 97th Ave.
Miami, Fla. 33156
Phone: (305) 274-3408
Fax: (305) 274-2775

Dimensions
20700 W. Dixie Highway/Suite 102
Miami, Fla. 33180
Phone: (305) 933-5887
Fax: (305) 933-8991 Robin Bersson

Easter Seal of Miami-Dade
1475 NW 14th Ave.
Miami, Fla. 33125
Phone: (305) 325-0470
Fax: (305) 325-0578

Excel Rehabilitation Center
2140 W. 68th St./Suite 302-A
Hialeah, Fla. 33016
Phone: (305) 819-4004
Fax: (305) 819-4005
Nancy Pachon

GEM Physical Therapy
18383 NW 27th Ave.
Miami, Fla. 33056
Phone: (305) 625-5693
Fax: (305) 621- 2192

Hearing & Speech Center of Florida
9425 Sunset Drive/Suite 261
Miami, Fla. 33173
Phone: (305) 271-7343
Fax: (305) 271-7949
Email: HSCF@aol.com
Web site: www.hearingandspeechcenter.org

Hearing & Speech Center of Florida
15503 Bull Run Road, Town Center Mall
Miami Lakes, Fla. 33186
Phone: (305) 271-7343
FAX: (305) 271-7949
Email: HSCF@aol.com
Web site: www.hearingandspeechcenter.org

Homestead Hospital
144 NW 11th St.
Homestead, Fla. 33030
Phone: (305) 242-3504
Fax: (305) 242-3515
Lillian Wayne-Buck

Infant & Pediatric Home Therapy
550 SE Fourth Court
Dania, Fla. 33004
Phone: (954) 925-1034
Fax: (954) 925-7034
Michelle J. Parente

Jackson Memorial Hospital Rehabilitation Department
1611 NW 12th Ave.
Miami, Fla. 33136
(305) 585-0090

• Physical Therapy
  Phone: (305) 585-6842
  Fax: (305) 585-0091

• Occupational Therapy
  Phone: (305) 585-7224
  Fax: (305) 585-0091

• Speech/Language Therapy
  Phone: (305) 525-1260
  Fax: (305) 585-0091

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care is the most comprehensive child care study conducted to date to determine how variations in child care are related to children's development. The goal sought to answer questions about the relationship between child care experiences and characteristics and children's developmental outcomes. The study went beyond the question of whether child care was good or bad. Instead, it focused on how the different aspects of child care, such as quantity and quality of care vis-a-vis children's cognitive and language development and mother-child interactions over the first three years of life. The study also examined such factors as family economic status, mother's physiological well-being and intelligence, child gender and temperament.

The Early Child Care study enrolled more than 1,300 families and their children in 10 locales throughout the country, following them through their first seven years. Parents selected the type and timing of child care their children received, and families were enrolled in the study without regard to their plans for child care. Children were placed in a wide variety of child care settings: Care by fathers, other relatives, in-home care-givers, child care home providers and center-based care.

What are the characteristics of early child care?

• Quality child care is defined as positive caregiving, interactions and language stimulation in small group sizes with adults who are adequately educated and trained.
• Most child care centers do not meet the recommended guidelines for child-staff ratio, the group size, teacher training, and teacher education as recommended by professional organizations of educators, pediatricians and public professionals.
• Children in centers that met more guidelines had better language comprehension and school readiness.

What is the role of family for children in early child care?

• Family characteristics, including the family income and the mother's education, were strong predictors of children's outcomes.
• For those children in nearly exclusive maternal care, and those children in extensive child care, the influence of families on children's development was not significantly reduced or changed by extensive, non-parental care.
• Family income accounted primarily for both the amount, age of entry into care and type and quality of care infants received.

What is the relationship of early child care to children's development?

• Child care quality was the most consistent predictor of children's behavior.
• The higher the quality of child care the greater the child's language ability and better cognitive development at age 2 and showed more school readiness at age 3.
• Children in care receiving more sensitive and responsive attention had fewer caregiver-reported problems at ages 2 and 3.
• Children in care for more than 10 hours per week, those in center care and to a lesser extent, those in child care homes, performed better on cognitive and language measures when the quality of the caregiver-child interaction was taken into account.

What is the relationship between early child care and children's relationship to their mothers?

• Child care in and of itself neither adversely affects nor promotes the security of infants' attachment to their mothers at 15 months.
• Certain child care conditions, in combinations with certain home environments, did increase the probability that infants would be insecurely attached to their mothers.
• Higher quality of care (positive provider-child interactions) modestly predicted greater involvement and sensitivity by the mother (at 15 and 36 months) and greater positive engagement with the mother (at 36 months).
• Low-income mothers using full-time higher quality care had higher positive involvement at six months then low-income mothers not using care or those using lower-quality full-time care.

What was learned from the Study of Early Child Care?

Higher quality early care is related to:

• better mother-child relationships.
• lower probability of insecure attachment in infants of mothers low in sensitivity.
• fewer reports of children's problem behaviors.
• higher cognitive performance of children in child care.
• higher children's language ability.
• greater level of school readiness

Source:
Study of Early Child Care, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 1997.

For more information please visit the following Early Care and Education.

KidCare is Florida's Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP) established in 1998 to provide health care coverage to an estimated 550,000 uninsured Florida children in families below 200% of the federal poverty level ($34,100 per year for a family of four). Funding from the federal government has allowed the state to expand Medicaid and to include three additional insurance programs for low-income, uninsured children.

Florida KidCare provides free or low cost health insurance to uninsured children between the ages of 0 and 18. It consists of four programs.

• Medicaid for children 0-18

• MediKids for children 0-5 above the Medicaid income eligibility level

• Healthy Kids for children 5-18 above the Medicaid income eligibility level

• Children Medical Services (CMS) Network for children with special physical, developmental, and behavioral health care needs

In order to be eligible for these programs, a child must be a U.S. citizen or qualified alien, uninsured, and have a family income below 200% of the federal poverty level. Participation in Medicaid is free. Families with income above the Medicaid income eligibility guideline and below 200% of the federal poverty level pay $15 per family per month to participate in MediKids, Healthy Kids and CMS. School-aged children in families with income above 200% of the federal poverty level can buy into the Healthy Kids program.

To apply, a parent or custodian should complete a one page, two sided KidCare application form. You can download an application by clicking on the KidCare logo below. Applications can also be obtained by contacting HSC. All applications are first screened for Medicaid. Children who are ineligible for Medicaid are screened for the other programs.

The KidCare outreach program in Miami-Dade is coordinated by the Human Services Coalition through the Growing Healthy Taskforce (GHTF). The Taskforce is an umbrella group of residents and organizations concerned about children’s access to health care.

HSC subcontracts with community-based organizations that have a special focus on minorities in neighborhoods with the greatest need. These community organizations work with HSC and the Miami-Dade County Health Department to inform families regarding KidCare in a variety of ways, and to enroll eligible children in the program.

For more information about the KidCare program in Miami-Dade please call 305 576 5001.

"A Caring Place for Your Infant"
"A Caring Place for Your Toddler"
"A Good pre-school for Your Child"
"Finding the Best Care for Your Infant or Toddler"
"How to Choose a Good Early Childhood Program"
"Give Your Child Something That Will Last a Lifetime"

National Head Start Brochure

M-DCPS Booklet

"Early Childhood and Parenting Programs"

Subsidized Child Care

Miami-Dade Department of Human Services (DHS) - Child Development Services
(305) 633-6481

Resource and Referral

Miami-Dade Department of Human Services (DHS) - Child Development Services
(305) 373-3521 (Hotline)

Miami-Dade Public Schools

Map Room (305) 883-5361
Division of Early Childhood Programs (305) 995-7632

Easter Seals Miami-Dade

(305) 325-0470

Head Start

Miami-Dade Community Action Agency Head Start (305) 347-4622

Department of Children and Families Licensing

Main Number - (305) 377-5006
North Unit - (305) 377-5494
South Unit - (305) 377-5509

• Miami-Dade County Public Schools
• Miami-Dade Community Action Agency (CAA) - Head Start
• Easter Seals
• www.fcforum.org Florida Children's Forum