Tampa child care: Tampa: Drop Off Programs – Fun 4 Tampa Kids

There’s a child care crisis in Florida. Here’s why that matters

Early education professionals are saying a “child care crisis” is underway in Tampa Bay.

Some of the most important years for a child’s social, emotional and language development occur before they enter grade school. More than 90% of a child’s brain will have developed by the time most enter kindergarten.

But early education opportunities have historically been poorly funded and underused, according to educators and business leaders at a recent panel discussion on childhood development. The pandemic has made the problem worse.

That has implications for future learning outcomes, but also for the economic health of a community.

Here’s what you should know.

Related: St. Petersburg program teaches parents how to help kids learn

Early education affects future opportunities

Nearly half of Tampa Bay area children are unprepared when they enter kindergarten, according to data from the state’s readiness assessment. That affects future learning.

“The better a child is prepared for kindergarten, the easier it is going to be for them to continue to climb the ladder,” said Ulas Butler, an early education specialist with United Way Suncoast. “Step A has to come before Step B. But if I never get Step A, I’ll never be ready for Step B.”

Early education programs aim to bolster a child’s readiness by providing learning opportunities during the first five years of life.

Research has found that access to early education improves graduation rates, as well as workforce readiness.

Related: Florida preschools help parents teach their children to learn

Low pay and high costs hurt the field

The cost of child care is prohibitive for many families. In the Tampa Bay region, the average cost of day care is higher than that of in-state tuition at the University of South Florida — with child care costing around $10,000 and tuition around $6,500 a year.

Still, early education professionals are some of the lowest earners in the workforce.

In the Tampa Bay region, early education teachers made an average of $30,650 in 2021, about $6,000 below the living wage for an individual.

“Wages are on par with grocery stores and fast food,” said Lindsay Carson, chief executive officer of the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County. “There’s certainly a labor of love, but without additional wages, it’s really hard to keep (employees).”

The result is a worker shortage.

Around 38% of Florida residents live in a child care desert, according to census data.

The pandemic has made the shortage worse. About a third of jobs were lost in the child care sector during the last two years, and many employees have not returned to the field.

“The pandemic set us back about 20 years in terms of number of employees in the (child care) workforce,” said Andrea Doggett, a United Way vice president.

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Businesses feel effects

The ripple effect is felt by the region’s business community, according to Bemetra Simmons, chief executive officer of the Tampa Bay Partnership, a coalition of regional business leaders.

When parents can’t afford child care, they’re forced to stay home with their kids instead of working, Simmons said.

In Florida alone, as many as 92,000 households reported that an adult left paid work to provide at-home child care, according to a March census survey. Thousands of others reported cutting hours.

That affects staffing across all industries, Simmons said, and makes it difficult for businesses to find workers, ultimately hampering the economy.

“This is both a local and a national issue,” Simmons said. “High demand from parents returning to their jobs, and fewer (numbers) of child care facilities and workers in there are exacerbating this problem. ”

Filling the gaps

Across Florida, steps are being taken to fill the gaps.

In Pinellas County, for example, the Early Learning Coalition is working to attract more workers by providing training opportunities and signing and retention bonuses to people entering the workforce.

In Sarasota schools, officials have committed resources to family engagement for pre-kindergarten students, as well as developed a system to monitor child progress.

Still, experts emphasized a need for broader community and sustained financial investment from the public and private sector.

They also emphasized the importance of family engagement. They said creating awareness around available resources is critical, as is preparing parents to help their children learn at home.

“Parents play a critical role. Parents are a child’s first and most important teacher,“ Carson said. “Nothing replaces that interaction at home.”

Related: Tampa Bay schools ramp up efforts to ready children for kindergarten

5 Best Child Care Centres in Tampa, FL

Below is a list of the top and leading Child Care Centres in Tampa. To help you find the best Child Care Centres located near you in Tampa, we put together our own list based on this rating points list.

Tampa’s Best Child Care Centres:

Alphabet Learning Center

Children’s Garden Nursery & Preschool

Creative World School – Tampa Palms

Suncoast Academy: South Tampa Preschool

Panda Hugs Academy

The top rated Child Care Centres in Tampa, FL are:

• Alphabet Learning Center – providing quality care and education for over 35 years
• Children’s Garden Nursery & Preschool – provides a top-quality, student-centered, and constructivist self-guided curriculum
• Creative World School – Tampa Palms – is dedicated to the education and development of young children
• Suncoast Academy: South Tampa Preschool – has been providing stellar infant and child care in the Tampa Bay area
• Panda Hugs Academy – has been serving the Tampa community for more than 20 years

Alphabet Learning Center

Alphabet Learning Center provides a place where your child’s health and safety are their primary concerns. They have been providing quality care and education for over 35 years. The Center is family owned and managed with a professional staff that exceeds all state and local requirements. They also provide delicious, nutritionally balanced breakfasts, prepare hot lunches daily in their kitchen and supply an afternoon snack for your child. They offered a sound and competent preschool program, which sets a valuable foundation for intellectual growth which is balanced with a strong emphasis on moral values and social skills.

Products/Services:

Child Care Centre

LOCATION:

Address: 4423 Kelly Rd, Tampa, FL 33615
Phone: (813) 884-4542
Website: www.alphabetlearningcenter.com

REVIEWS:

“Alphabet Learning is a great center My children love the place and teachers. They always come home talking about all the activities they do, every time I walk into the center the kids are well organized, and engage in different activities. They served hot and healthy meals daily. They have a great curriculum, As well we can walk in any time and the Kids are always happy. The place is so clean, always Smells good.”

Children’s Garden Nursery & Preschool

Children’s Garden Nursery & Preschool provides a top-quality, student-centered, and constructivist self-guided curriculum that uses self-directed, experiential learning in a relationship-driven environment. Their mission is to provide excellence in preschool, kindergarten, before and after school programs, and summer camps for families living in the greater local area. They employ only highly skilled teachers with more than 5 years of experience in teaching children.

The team where your children will be educated is created according to your child’s interests. They have a variety of programs to offer your children regardless of their age and level of knowledge. The educational childcare program in their center is designed to offer a comprehensive path to prepare your child for elementary school and life. Children’s Garden features developmentally appropriate programs with specialized curricula for a variety of ages.

Products/Services:

Child Care Centre

LOCATION:

Address: 4106 N 15th St, Tampa, FL 33610
Phone: (813) 499-9688
Website: www.tampachildrensgardens.com

REVIEWS:

“The teachers are excellent and a great learning environment for the children. My son Christian Love’s going there every day and interacting with the other children.” – Christopher H.

Creative World School – Tampa Palms

Creative World School – Tampa Palms is dedicated to the education and development of young children. If you are looking for a quality learning experience, staffed with amazing teachers, look no further. The team at Creative World School is more than just a daycare facility, their unique exploratorium is where discovery and steam come to life for their preschool and pre-k students. Their fully equipped classrooms and state-of-the-art playgrounds for every age group enhance their curriculum to provide the best learning opportunities for your child in Tampa Palms, FL.

Products/Services:

Child Care Centre

LOCATION:

Address: 5365 Primrose Lake Cir, Tampa, FL 33647
Phone: (813) 558-0234
Website: www.creativeworldschool.com

REVIEWS:

“Creative world school Tampa palms is a great school for children to learn and grow. My daughter is in the after-school program since the time school opened she is very happy and interacts well in the school environment. The administration and teachers are very professional and caring. The school is very clean and safe. Thank you for all the support and care you are giving to Laila.” – Heba A.

Suncoast Academy: South Tampa Preschool

Suncoast Academy: South Tampa Preschool has been providing stellar infant and child care in the Tampa Bay area. With over 40 years in childcare and early learning, they pride themselves in furthering the development of your child’s educational, mental and physical well-being. Within their caring and trusting environment, their tenured teachers and qualified staff will enrich your child’s early years with the utmost care and concern, creating a positive foundation to grow.

They believe the first years in life are extremely important in influencing a child’s development, they have built their philosophy around understanding the individual needs of the child in order to provide fun, yet effective solutions to help a child acquire the confidence in handling people, and situations and comprehending feelings.

Products/Services:

Child Care Centre

LOCATION:

Address: 4207 W San Miguel St, Tampa, FL 33629
Phone: (813) 253-3284
Website: www.suncoastacademy.com

REVIEWS:

“I’ve been sending my daughter to Suncoast Academy since she was 3 months old (she is now 15 mo. s), and I couldn’t be happier! The daycare searching process is overwhelming, but I felt Suncoast has more than fair tuition rates for the South Tampa area, but most importantly I love that my daughter is Happy to be there every day! She is excited to see her teachers, and she has truly thrived since being enrolled here. The staff is extremely accommodating, flexible, and very friendly. I can’t say enough how happy I am to be part of the Suncoast Academy family, and would recommend it to any family currently looking for daycare!” – Britney S.

Panda Hugs Academy

Panda Hugs Academy is a family-owned-and-operated daycare in New Tampa, FL, that has been serving the Tampa community for more than 20 years. They pride themselves on being one of the very first childcare centers in the area. Many of their staff members have been with them for a dozen or more years. One member even opened the doors with them way back in 1997.

They have always believed that children learn best through play and have designed their education programs on that basis. They are licensed and inspected regularly thru the Hillsborough County Child Care Licensing. Their center accepts ELC School Readiness programs as well as offers discounts to county teachers, first responders, VA staff, USF, and multi-child families.

Products/Services:

Child Care Centre

LOCATION:

Address: 15051 Bruce B Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33647
Phone: (813) 867-2657
Website: www.pandahugsacademy.com

REVIEWS:

“A kind, loving, and Fun learning environment, I fell in love with this school instantly. Small class sizes excellent teachers fantastic learning program, My son Raylin really loves going to school highly recommend this preschool.” – Adina L.

Sarah has worked as a journalist for nearly a decade having contributed to several large publications online. As a business expert, Sarah reviews local and national businesses.

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