The SW Florida Professional Development Partnership (formerly CSPD) Council created an Early Childhood (EC) Committee in the Spring of 2002. The EC committee was developed in response to an emerging consensus that it was important to organize the early childhood community into a collaborative partnership. The primary task of the Committee was to increase cohesiveness, and decrease fragmentation, of early childhood special education services. Consistent with this effort, the Committee also explored ways to reduce the shortage of qualified early intervention professionals. Extensive outreach was undertaken by Partnership Council members to identify and invite early childhood leaders to participate in this initiative. The Committee is now an important part of the SW Florida Professional Development Partnership. The Partnership was awarded General Supervision and Enhancement Grant (GSEG) in March of 2003- Sept. 2004, and funded local training events, and 8 demonstration projects. We were awarded the Birth to Five Professional Development Partnership grant co-funded by the Departments of Education and Health in fiscal year 2003-2004. Our current grant (2005/2006) includes funds from the Department of Education targeting professionals serving children ages 3-5 receiving special education services and the EC committee represents a very active component of the partnership.

Partners

The Early Childhood Committee of SW Florida Professional Development Council works collaboratively with many Partners including these representative groups:

• Early Steps Program (2 regions)

• School District Representatives from Charlotte, Collier, Hendry, Glades and Lee Counties

• Edison College

• FDLRS Child Find (Island Coast, Heartland and Suncoast)

• Florida Gulf Coast University Faculty (College of Education and College of Health Professions, and Family Resource Center (FRC))

• Central Florida Behavioral Health Network

• Early Learning Coalitions

• Private Part C Providers

• Parents/Family Members

• Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD)

• Barry University

• Division of Blind Services

• Technical Assistance and Training System (TATS) Project

Events Hosted as part of the Early Childhood Initiative;

• Early Childhood Leadership Summit: Special Education & Related Services
• Early Childhood Innovation Institute: Special Education & Related Services
• The primary purpose of these events was to build strong working relationships among the participants, to inform participants of GSEG grant opportunities and state priorities, to create a common knowledge base, and to offer support.
• Mission Toward Education; Pedagogy & Practice: Regional conference addressing diversity, environmental sustainability & integrated special and general education topics.
• Communities in Collaboration; A regional summit on children’s emotional, behavioral & mental health.