Recognition

ECE Recognition Program

Florida’s HEROs ECE Recognition is a voluntary recognition program. It is open to all early care and education centers in Florida that are licensed by the Florida Department of Children and Families. This program recognizes ECE centers for integrating the following best practices:

ECE providers play a vital role in the development of our state’s children. The goal of the recognition is for ECE providers to take proactive, voluntary steps to improve their program’s practices and policies related to encouraging healthy behaviors among the children and families they serve. Implementation of best practices in the ECE setting will pave the way for healthy lifestyle choices in youth that continues into their adulthood. Join early care and education (ECE) providers across Florida in the movement to integrate best practices focused on physical activity and nutrition into their programs.

Application Requirements

Be a Florida licensed/registered early care and education (ECE) program: center-based (to include multi-site programs), family child care homes and early head start/head start programs (to include grantees with multiple site locations).
ECE program director must complete required trainings.
The recognition application must be completed in its entirety.

Recognition Program Incentives

Opportunities for CEUs

Kaplan Monetary Award

Marketing Materials

Technical Assistance

If you are the director or provider at a Florida ECE program, we want to support you on your journey towards providing a healthier environment for the children and families you serve. We work with stakeholders across the state to provide free technical assistance and trainings that will prepare your program to apply for the recognition. Technical assistance is optional, and can be accessed by submitting an interest form. Once your interest form is submitted you will be connected with one of the technical assistance consultant listed below. Our technical assistance consultants will help you assess which FL HEROs best practices you are meet and create action steps to improve best practices you do not meet through the Go NAPSACC website. Go NAPSACC is a set of easy-to-use online tools and an online library of helpful videos, activities, and flyers.

Certified Go NAPSACC Technical Assistance Consultants

Florida Department of Health in Broward County:

Ray Nellissery: ray.nellissery@flhealth.gov

Florida Department of Health in Citrus County:

Carmen Hernandez: carmen.hernandez@flhealth.gov

Florida Department of Health in Gadsen County:

Esther Rowan: esther.rowan@flhealth.gov

Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County:

Amy Daneman: amy.daneman@flhealth.gov

Florida Department of Health Hardee County:

Stefania Sweet: stefania.sweet@flhealth.gov

UF/IFAS Extension Family Nutrition Program:

Peace Nwagbo: pnwagbo@ufl.edu

Julia Sanchez: julia.sanchez@ufl.edu

Health Council of Southeast Florida: Planning@hcsef.org

Frequently Asked Questions

General

Which types of sites are eligible to apply for recognition?

Any licensed early care and education family home, large family home or center can apply for recognition.

Do centers have to complete all sections of the application or just those that relate to their center?

ECEs must complete all sections of the application. If the application requirement does not relate to their center, centers should indicate this by selecting the age groups they serve in the program information section

How long is the recognition valid?

The recognition is valid for two years.

My ECE program was previously recognized how do I re-certify?

The requirements for the FL HEROs recognition program are updated to stay in line with current best practices for maintaining a healthy weight for children 0 to 5, and based on the guidance of the FL HEROs Stakeholder Committee. Therefore, recognition criteria may be revised at the time of recertification. Please submit the most up-to-date FL HEROs Application, as well as, staff training certificates and support documentation from within the past 12 months

What are the benefits of becoming recognized?

Implementing best practices helps to create a healthier environment for the children your facility serves.
All centers that apply for the recognition program will have access to free trainings that provide continuing education units
Recognized ECE program are eligible for Kaplan monetary incentive
Recognized centers will also receive marketing materials to display at their center
Recognized ECE programs will also be featured on the ECEs4HealthyKids.org website

How long does it take for a ECE center to would they receive recognition after they apply?

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and applications will reviewed 3-4 weeks after submission

COVID-19 Modifications

Are their virtual training and technical options available due to COVID-19?

The in-person UF/IFAS Healthy Kids Healthy Future Workshop is currently being offered virtually, Go NAPSACC offers on-demand trainings for each best practice, and the ABCs of a Healthy Me Training is a self-paced online training.

Since COVID-19 has changed the operations of ECE programs, what should benchmarks selected be based on current practices or pre-COVID practices? Some of the benchmarks that have been impacted include family-style dining (FSD) and having space for moms to breastfeed on site. For these and any benchmark strategies sites are facing impacts on, how would you suggest they reflect this in the application?

We understand that things have changed or been adapted due to COVID, so we are committed to making this process as convenient as possible for ECEs during this time. Since the recognition is good for 2-years, it will be best to use pre-COVID practices. However, if it is not an additional burden, it would be beneficial if ECE providers can highlight which best practices have been adapted or put on hold due to COVID-19 by making an addendum to their policy or sharing how this update was shared with a parent.

For example, during a recent virtual conference, other states shared how ECE providers have shifted to individual self-serve options to promote motor skills development and maintain some of the family–style dining elements.

What are virtual or socially distanced forms of parent engagements are approved and what supporting documents are needed?

A live, virtual workshop or class for parents on a particular topic, with flyers, event announcements, or handouts that display the topic and credentials/title of the presenter. Flyers, newsletters, emails, or handouts to parents with information or resources about any of the five best practices from credible topic experts at government agencies, educational institutes, or health foundations.

Will the screen time benchmarks be altered due to COVID-19? What about centers doing virtual Pre-K/virtual learning?

This benchmark has not been modified due to COVID-19. The FL HEROs Benchmarks were developed based on the Preventing Childhood Obesity in ECE Program 3^rd Edition Guidelines, which is a component of the Caring for Our Children National Guidelines. These national guidelines state that child care centers should limit educational screen time to 30 minutes per week of commercial-free programming, teachers should supervise this screen time, and teachers should always talk with students about what they are seeing during screen time. If this is typically the case we ask that a policy addendum be attached that reflects the typical policy and how it had been changed due to COVID-19.
We also understand from our calls with ECE programs that some preschoolers may be getting closer to 150 minutes per week or 30 minutes per day of screen time due to testing and literacy requirements and that some are offering Pre-K virtually. We will discuss this with our stakeholder committee to see if modifications or exceptions are needed.

Training Requirements

Will providers be able to apply for recognition without participating in UF/IFAS FNP’s training, or is it required by all providers for recognition?

ECE providers can participate in the six-session ABCs of a Healthy Me Training or connect with a certified Go NAPSACC Consultant to access FREE on-demand trainings, which both qualify for the pre-requisite training requirements.

Can a childcare centers can get credit for taking thetrainngs while they are still in the licensing process?

Yes, as long as centers are licensed once they apply for the recognition they can begin the training process.

Who counts as directors/lead teachers for the purpose of the recognition training requirements

The “director position” at each site is the person that oversees the operation of the child care program and providers staff trainings. Please contact FloridasHEROs@gmail.com if your program structure would require someone else to take the training in place of the director. A lead teacher is considered the main teacher the plans lessons for a class and directs classroom activities of each classroom. If your program’s structure does not have a lead teacher the training requirement applies to all classroom staff.

Are their virtual training and technical options available due to COVID-19?

When will I receive my ABCs of a Healthy Me certificates?

ABCs of a Healthy Me training reports are reviewed on a monthly basis. If you completed the last quiz of each session you will be emailed a certificate of completion for the sessions you completed. Once you have completed all SIX sessions, your information will be sent to Palm Beach State College’s Institute of Excellence in Early Care and Education and you will be awarded one free corporate & continuing education childcare. You will be mailed a physical CEU certificate to the mailing address you reported on the last question of each training video. If you have any questions, concerns, or need to update your mainlining address please contact FloridasHEROs@gmail.com.

Note: In 2020 we had a glitch and a few of our training reports were being sent to our training developer and were not captured in our records. Therefore anyone who completed the training in 2020, but did not receive an email please contact us.

Multi-Site Applications

If I am applying for a multi-site center, so I need to submit multiple applications?

If you are applying as a center that has multiple locations, only one application that lists all locations is required. All site locations must meet the criteria you are applying for, and supporting documentation must be submitted for each site.

For multi-site programs most of the required proof will cover all sites. In which cases is proof required for each individual site?

Documentation that is used across all sites such as policies, curriculum, monthly menus, parent handbooks, and parent handouts can be included once. Site-specific photos or parent engagement workshop flyers and sign-in sheets must be included for each site.

If a multi-site program receives recognition do they receive incentives for each site?

Yes each site will be eligible for a recognition certificate, Kaplan credits and will be listed on the FL HEROs website

Best Practice & Supporting DOcs

Do centers have to complete all sections of the application or just those that relate to their center?

Early care and education centers must complete all sections of the application. If the application requirement does not relate to their center, centers should indicate this on the application.

For each of the family engagement strategies, the application asks for centers to upload resources from Appendix A of the application guide. Are these the only resources that will allow centers to meet these benchmark strategies?

ECEs programs can use resources and information about any of the five best practices from credible topic experts at government agencies, educational institutes, or health foundations.

If a program has a half-day and full-day option, do they apply using the full-day or half-day requirements?

Requirements are prorated for programs that are part-time (less than 8 Hours) programs. Both the full-time and part-time program should meet best practice requirements