News & Announcements

It’s with sadness and gratitude that after six years, Denise Marzullo, President and CEO of the ELC of Duval, has announced her resignation to the Board of Directors.

While with the organization, Denise oversaw significant changes in the child care and early learning industry. The organization grew into the largest nonprofit in Jacksonville in 2022. Denise was named 2021 Ultimate CEO by the Jacksonville Business Journal and received the 2022 Mayor’s Strategic Partnership Award.

We thank Denise for the energy, vision, and heart she dedicated to Duval’s early learning community and families. We wish her the absolute best as she and her family relocate to Bradenton, Florida this summer.

The Board of Directors has hired a consulting firm that is working diligently to find the right person to serve as the next leader of the ELC. Click here for the Denise’s letter to Duval child care and early learning providers.

The BBWI Grants and Other Opportunities (Round 2) has been available to providers since March 17, 2023. The deadline to submit all required documentation to receive your bonus and/or grant payment is June 30, 2023. There will be no exceptions. Please submit all documentation, applications, and invoices to buildabetterworkforce@elcduval.org.

Step 1 – Please listen to the BBWI tutorial, click here.

Step 2 – Every provider/director must have an approved Eligibility Application before applying for any bonus, grant, or reimbursement. If you have already submitted an Eligibility Application you DO NOT have to submit another one. The deadline to submit an Eligibility Application was May 31, 2023. If you did not meet this deadline, please email Johnna Daniels at jdaniels@elcduval.org.

Step 3 – If eligible for the Recruitment Bonus, click here for the application.

Step 4 – If eligible for the Health & Safety Bonus, click here for the application.

Step 5 – If applying for First Aid, CPR, and DCF Training Reimbursement, click here for the revised invoice.

Step 6 – If eligible for the ELC of Duval Training Bonus, click here for the editable invoice and click here for the non-editable invoice.

Resources: Grant, Bonus, and Reimbursement Chart, and BBWI Grants and Other Opportunities PPT.

Effective July 1, 2023, the ELC of Duval’s office located at 4251 Lenox Avenue will close to the public. Effective July 3, 2023, the office at 2255 Dunn Avenue, Bldg. 100, Suite 102, Jacksonville, 32218, will reopen to the public. Office hours at the Dunn Avenue location will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. , Monday through Thursday. Office hours at the 6500 Bowden Road location, Suite 290, Jacksonville, 32216, are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday. All offices are closed to the public on Fridays.

The City of Jacksonville and Mayor Lenny Curry honored the ELC of Duval as a 2022 recipient of the Mayor’s Strategic Partnerships Initiative Award. This award recognizes excellence in partnerships that have transformed the relationship between sectors and led to measurable benefits for low-and moderate-income individuals and families. We are truly honored! To watch Board Chairman receive the award, click here. Learn more at www.nonprofits.coj.net/PartnershipsAward/2022Awardees.aspx

The ELC of Duval is pleased to offer free Calm Classroom training to eligible child care and early learning providers. Calm Classroom is a type of meditation used in child care and school districts throughout the United States, including 117 Duval County Public Schools. Calm Classroom is simple to teach and implement and is beneficial to children, teachers, and support staff.

Click here for more information and to access the pre-registration form.

The ELC of Duval is a proud member of Read Jax, a community effort to improve third-grade reading outcomes. Reading does not begin when a child arrives at kindergarten. Pre-literacy skills start at a young age and include wanting to look at books, following narratives, recognizing print, learning vocabulary, and identifying letters and sounds. Parents are encouraged to foster a love of reading early on with their children to provide a solid foundation to build strong literacy skills. Below are activities and resources to assist families build excellent reading habits.

Florida Department of Education – Summer Reading Activities

Division of Early Learning – Ready to Read

Jacksonville Public Library – Reading Lists

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