About Us
piscopal Children’s Services helps underserved children in Northeast and Central Florida build a strong foundation for educational success. Working with children from birth to age 5 – the most critical years for cognitive development – ECS’s dedicated teachers and staff use curriculums based on the latest research and best practices to help families ensure their youngsters enter school ready to learn.
A recognized leader in early childhood education for more than 50 years, ECS serves over 50,000 children and their families in 14 counties: Baker, Bradford, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Putnam, St John’s, Alachua, Marion, Lake, Citrus, Gilchrist, Dixie, and Levy. We believe that educating a child not only improves their odds for success but also strengthens the entire community.
Our Impact
ECS programs use a “whole child” approach that helps kids grow intellectually, emotionally and socially. We also provide resources and training to caregivers in order to enhance access to high-quality childcare.
Our Programs
Early Learning Centers
ECS operates early learning centers offering full-day, high-quality early education for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years, including Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program.
Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R)
This program provides valuable information to parents about a wide range of child care providers, including school-based care, church-affiliated programs, special-needs care, weekend care, before- and after-school programs, and summer camps.
Regional Training Institute
The Regional Training Institute provides professional development training for early childhood educators, preparing caregivers for mandatory state credentialing as Child Development Associates (CDA). The Institute also offers an ECS-developed training class for child care providers that satisfies the state-mandated five-hour Literacy (birth to 5) requirement.
School Readiness
Episcopal Children’s Services serves as the School Readiness services provider for six counties in Northeast Florida. This unified regional approach results in better starts for children and ensures that they are eager to learn and ready to succeed when they enter kindergarten.
Voluntary Prekindergarten
When the state-mandated VPK program began in 2005, Episcopal Children’s Services organized the start-up and registration of children and providers in five counties. Our efforts resulted in enrollment of 83 providers and over 1,800 children for the 2005 – 2006 school year. ECS has continued to be a leader in VPK and now serves over 5,000 VPK students every year.
Head Start/Early Head Start
Head Start/Early Head Start is a free program that provides comprehensive early learning services to children from low-income families. Episcopal Children’s Services operates 30 Head Start/Early Head Start centers in Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Dixie, Duval, Gilchrist, Lake, Levy, Marion, and Nassau Counties, serving pregnant women and children from birth through age 5. A home-based Early Head Start program option is also available in those counties.
Nutrition Program
Episcopal Children’s Services ensures that children at its 33 child care centers and Head Start/Early Head Start sites in Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Dixie, Duval, Gilchrist, Lake, Levy, Marion, and Nassau Counties receive two nutritionally balanced meals and one snack each day in their child care environment.
CoachJax!
A partnership between Episcopal Children’s Services and the Jacksonville Children’s Commission, CoachJax! is designed to improve Jacksonville’s school readiness rates and help kids develop the skills they need to enter school ready to learn. CoachJax! deploys teams of coaches and quality support staff into early learning centers to help directors and teachers improve the quality of their environments, teaching methods, interactions and curricula.