Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County

What Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County does

The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County is a legislatively designated nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that serves as the sole local administrator of Florida's state-funded early childhood education programs in Palm Beach County. Founded in 1999 as the Palm Beach County School Readiness Coalition and redesignated in 2005 to add Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) administration, the Coalition operates three core programs: free VPK for all Florida four-year-olds, the income-based School Readiness subsidy program for eligible families, and Early Head Start for 270 children from birth to age three in targeted communities. It serves two primary customer groups — Palm Beach County families with children from birth through age five and 700+ contracted child care providers — through a mix of direct services (Child Care Resource and Referral, Warm Line, developmental screening) and provider-facing support (Technical Assistance Coaching, CLASS assessment, professional development).

The Coalition's technology platform spans state-provided portals (Family Portal with Single Sign-On and MFA, Provider Portal, Florida's QPS system for CLASS scoring), third-party assessment and curriculum tools (ASQ-3/ASQ:SE-2 developmental screening, Age of Learning's My Reading Academy and My Math Academy, LENA Grow, Teachstone CLASS, TORSH observation platform), and operational tooling (Childplus for EHS applications, Box for document management, Zoom for remote service delivery, Google Translate for 100+ languages). No proprietary AI/ML or data flywheel capabilities are documented.

Revenue is derived almost entirely from government and quasi-government sources: federal Head Start grants, Florida Division of Early Learning contracts for VPK and School Readiness, and Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County funding for the CSC STAR Award salary supplement program. Supplemental revenue comes from philanthropic contributions, including outright gifts, deferred gifts, and matching gifts through a Sustainability Fund. Pricing to end users is free for VPK and CCR&R services; School Readiness uses a sliding-scale copay keyed to gross household income against Florida's state median income threshold.

Name

Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County

Legal name

Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County, Inc.

Website

https://elcpalmbeach.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County is a legislatively designated nonprofit that administers Florida's VPK, School Readiness, and Early Head Start programs for families with children birth through age five and supports 700+ contracted child care providers across Palm Beach County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (624410), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Head Start & Publicly Funded Infant/Toddler Programs (EDACAGAH), Mental Health & Infant/Early Childhood Consultation (0–5) (EDACAFAO), Parenting Skills & Child Development Education (EDACALAA), Special Needs Early Intervention & Preschool Programs (EDAKAAAE)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Voluntary prekindergarten programs
• School readiness services
• Child care resource referral
• Early head start

Headquarters

HQ city

Boynton Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: Primary funding from federal and state sources including Office of Head Start grants, Florida Division of Early Learning contracts for VPK and School Readiness programs, and Children's Services Council funding for CSC STAR Awards and scholarships
2. Donations and Philanthropic Contributions: Accepts outright gifts (cash, securities, real property), deferred gifts (charitable gift annuities, life insurance, bequests), and matching gifts from employers. Sustainability Fund provides flexible resources for emerging needs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County administers state-funded early childhood education programs for families and child care providers in Palm Beach County. Its core offerings include the free Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program for Florida four-year-olds, the income-based School Readiness financial assistance program, the federally funded Early Head Start for children from birth to age three, and the free Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) service that connects families with early learning options and financial assistance.

Product overview

The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County operates as a coordinated early childhood education ecosystem offering multiple interconnected programs. The core offerings include: Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) — a free state-mandated pre-K program for four-year-olds; the School Readiness Program — a financial assistance scheme with sliding-scale copayments for income-eligible families; Early Head Start — a federally-funded comprehensive program serving infants and toddlers; and Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) — a free navigation service connecting families to care options. Supporting infrastructure includes the Family Portal and Provider Portal for online applications and management, the Early Childhood Registry for workforce credentialing, and the CSC STAR Award salary supplement program. Provider-side services encompass Technical Assistance Coaching, ASPIRE Professional Learning Institute training, VPK Sprint to Readiness literacy intervention, Age of Learning digital learning tools (My Reading Academy and My Math Academy), CLASS Assessment observations for quality measurement, and ASQ-based developmental screenings. The programs work together: families use CCR&R and the Family Portal to access VPK and School Readiness; providers use the Provider Portal, receive TA coaching and professional development; and the Coalition monitors quality through CLASS observations and developmental screenings, with Warm Line support for children with developmental concerns.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Free prekindergarten program for Florida four-year-olds regardless of family income, available as school-year VPK (540 instructional hours) or summer VPK (300 instructional hours). School-year VPK is typically part-day; summer VPK offers flexible scheduling.
• School Readiness Program Financial assistance program for eligible families with gross household income at or below 55% of State Median Income Level to access affordable early learning and out-of-school time care. Includes School Readiness Plus (SR Plus) for families facing income limits, with sliding-scale copayments based on income and family size.
• Early Head Start Federally funded program providing free high-quality early learning, developmental support, health services, and family resources for children from birth to age three from eligible families in Belle Glade, Delray Beach, Lake Worth Beach, Pahokee, Riviera Beach, South Bay, and West Palm Beach through partner providers.
• Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) Free service connecting families with Early Learning Specialists who help navigate child care options, discuss quality indicators, and connect with financial assistance programs. Available via phone (561-514-3300), WebChat, and in-person appointments at multiple locations. Services offered in all languages.
• CSC STAR Award Salary supplement program providing financial incentives to early childhood educators working with children birth through five in eligible Palm Beach County programs, including ELC SR-contracted, Early Head Start/Head Start, or Title I designated programs.
• Warm Line Toll-free helpline (888-620-9190) staffed by the Early Intervention Manager for families and providers seeking information about child development, disabilities, and special health care needs. Partners with Healthy Beginnings, Early Steps, and Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD).
• Technical Assistance (TA) Coaching One-on-one personalized coaching for child care providers using the Practice-Based Coaching model, supporting curriculum implementation, CLASS assessment preparation, classroom environments, child assessments, quality improvement plans, and professional development across topics including Behavior and Child Development, STEM, Health and Safety, and Curriculum.
• ASPIRE Professional Learning Institute Professional development and training program for early childhood educators and administrators. Training aligned with CLASS domains and offered through the WebAuthor Learning Management System 2.0, covering child development, classroom practices, and leadership skills.
• VPK Sprint to Readiness 14-week literacy intervention program targeting emergent reading skills for VPK students. Activities cover rhyming, alliteration, syllables, blending sounds, letter recognition, and story comprehension for students scoring between 25-39% on assessments.
• Age of Learning (My Reading Academy and My Math Academy) App-based technology program providing personalized reading and math activities for VPK students, including My Reading Academy and My Math Academy. Allows providers to monitor progress with real-time data. Currently available to all VPK classrooms contracted with ELC PBC.
• Early Childhood Registry Online registry system for Palm Beach County early childhood professionals to verify employment, track education credentials, and manage career journey documentation. Used for CSC STAR Award eligibility and professional development tracking.
• VPK Specialized Instructional Services (SIS) Specialized instruction outside traditional classroom for 4-year-olds with disabilities who have current Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs). Approved by Florida Department of Education and provided by pre-approved specialists.
• Lending Libraries Book and resource lending program allowing families to borrow educational materials. Libraries provide resources for home learning activities and child development support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Six-point gain in kindergarten readiness rates in Palm Beach County
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Division of Early Learning (Florida)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level oversight agency that administers VPK and School Readiness programs. The Coalition operates as the designated local implementing agency for these state-funded early learning programs under Florida Statute 411.01.
• Children's Services Council of Palm Beach CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal funding partner providing support for CSC STAR Award salary supplements and CSC scholarships. Co-branded partner on multiple programs.
• Office of Head Start (Administration for Children and Families)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal funding agency providing Early Head Start grant (Grant Number 04HP000549) to serve 270 children from 6 weeks to 3 years in high-need areas.
• CareerSource Palm Beach CountymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides walk-in services at CareerSource West and Central Career Centers where families can access CCR&R assistance during designated hours.
• School District of Palm Beach CountymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for kindergarten registration, SR School District Sites, and transition support. The District's Chief Academic Officer serves on the Coalition Board.
• Department of Health Palm Beach CountyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides walk-in CCR&R services at Department of Health location in West Palm Beach, expanding accessibility for families.
• Age of LearningmajorTechnology or IntegrationProvides My Reading Academy and My Math Academy digital curriculum available to all VPK classrooms contracted with the Coalition. App-based technology for personalized reading and math activities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Teaching Strategies: Leading provider of early childhood curriculum, assessment, and professional development tools. A vendor to the Coalition (and to every FL ELC), with overlapping mission of supporting ECE quality and teacher practice.

Broad incumbents

• National Head Start Association: Membership and advocacy organization for Head Start and Early Head Start grantees nationwide. Comparable in the EHS service line, though at the national advocacy and standards level rather than local delivery.
• Child Care Aware of America: National CCR&R umbrella organization that supports state and local child care resource and referral networks. Comparable in CCR&R function at a national level, but with policy and training rather than direct service delivery.

Direct peers

• Early Learning Coalition of Broward County: Florida's other large urban ELC, administering VPK, School Readiness, and EHS in Broward County under the same Florida Statute 411.01 framework. Operationally and structurally near-identical to the subject.
• Early Learning Coalition of the Big Bend: Florida ELC serving a multi-county region, offering the same slate of VPK, School Readiness, and EHS services under the same state-designated coalition model. Comparable as a direct regulatory peer.
• Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida: Another Florida ELC, administering the same state-funded early learning programs across a multi-county service area. Comparable in regulatory function, though smaller in scale and more rural.
• Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe: State-designated ELC for Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, running the same VPK, School Readiness, and EHS programs with a comparably large provider network. Directly comparable in scale, mission, and regulatory structure.

Regional players

• Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County: Independent special taxing district that funds CSC STAR Awards and other ECE initiatives in the same county. Not a service-delivery peer, but a key funding and policy partner with overlapping early childhood priorities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/elcpalmbeach
• Facebookfacebook.com/409832369075179
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/early-learning-coalition-of-palm-beach-county

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County