VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – New incentives, including a $500 cash bonus and $1,200 for classroom supplies, are being used to draw in new teachers and educators in Volusia County.

What You Need To Know

  • Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia to boost recruitment efforts and offer financial assistance to new teachers

  • VPK enrollment is down 8.1% this year in Volusia County

  • Cash bonuses and money for classroom supplies are some of the incentives being offered

Thanks to a state grant worth $895,370, the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia will boost recruitment efforts and offer financial assistance to new teachers and child care center owners that work with the coalition.

The idea is to help people like Annette Pelham, who has been a licensed child care provider for over 30 years.

“I do some of everything to make it work. I’m hoping that it gets better soon. Real soon,” Pelham explained.

She first got into the business when her son was a baby. Since then, it’s been her way of giving back and providing the youth around her with a positive environment to grow.

Recently, her day care has been dealing with a teacher shortage since the pandemic hit, and it has been tough finding new educators to hire.

“Some teachers are still afraid because in a childhood setting we have kids that get sick. When one gets sick, it sometimes spread.”

Pelham says salary and COVID have been her two key challenges when it comes to hiring teachers.

With this new grant in place, it could take some of her worries away and act as a band-aid.

According to the Department of Education, VPK enrollment is down 8.1% this year in Volusia County. 

Forty-six percent of 5-year-olds did not meet school readiness criteria for kindergarten.

“Child care providers don’t really have the funds to kind of help the teachers get up and running, we’re providing that support to them,” shared DJ Lebo, the CEO of the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia. 

The coalition is hopeful these incentives attract more candidates and ease some of the day care owner worries.

“We’re also providing the first month of pay reimbursed to them, so they don’t have to keep worrying about is this teacher going to stay," Lebo explained.

As for someone like Pelham, she has been able to draw in a new candidate for an interview.

If things work out, it could bode well for parents with children on a waitlist to receive care.

“You know the grants and everything is definitely helping keep us going right now until things get back on track."

The coalition is expected to bring in 100 new teachers into the early learning profession with their recent funding.