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age care. These services help families become financially self-sufficient and prepare children for success in life by providing developmentally appropriate educational experiences.

Purpose: The Florida Legislature created the SR program to increase children's chances of achieving future educational success and becoming productive members of society. Programs must be developmentally appropriate, research-based, involve parents as their child's first teacher, serve as preventive measures for children at risk of future school failure, enhance the educational readiness of eligible children, and support family education. Each SR program must provide the elements necessary to prepare at-risk children for school, including development screenings and referrals, and an appropriate educational program.

Eligibility Criteria: The SR program offers qualified parents financial assistance for childcare through a variety of services. Childcare services may include extended day, extended year, and school age care to support parents in becoming financially self- sufficient. Children are eligible for the SR program from birth to younger than 13 years of age, according to eligibility priority criteria. Parents are required to pay a copayment for services based on a percentage of their family income. In accordance with section 1002.87(1), F.S., each early learning coalition shall give priority for participation in the SR program as follows: 1. Priority shall be given first to a child younger than 13 years of age from a family that includes a parent who is receiving temporary cash assistance under chapter 414 and subject to the federal work requirements or a parent who has an Intensive Service Account or an Individual Training account under section 445.009, F.S. 2. Priority shall be given next to an at-risk child younger than nine years of age. 3. Subsequent priority shall be given, based on the early learning coalition’s local priorities identified under section 1002.85(2)(i), F.S., to children who meet the following criteria: a. A child from birth to the beginning of the school year for which the child is eligible for admission to kindergarten in a public school under section 1003.21(1)(a)2, F.S., who is from a working family that is economically disadvantaged, and may include such child’s eligible siblings, beginning with the school year in which the sibling is eligible for admission to kindergarten in a public school under section 1003.21(1)(a)2, F.S., until the beginning of the school year in which the sibling is eligible to begin sixth grade, provided that the first priority for funding an eligible sibling is local revenues available to the coalition for funding direct services. b. A child of a parent who transitions from the work program into employment as described in section 445.032, F.S., from birth to the beginning of the school year for which the child is eligible for admission to kindergarten in a public school under section 1003.21(1)(a)2, F.S. c. An at-risk child who is at least nine years of age but younger than 13 years of age. An at-risk child whose sibling is enrolled in the school readiness program within an eligibility priority category listed in paragraphs (1) and (2)