Eckerd Connects' Early Head Start

06/10/2026

In this week's WOW Wednesday, we would like to share the story of a parent who became a childcare teacher due to her experience. We would also like to share some tips to jump start your summer plans with your family🌞

06/08/2026

💡Did you know that making lemon and/or limeade teaches children important life skills through fun, hands-on play. Kids develop physical coordination, learn basic math and science concepts, and build independence.

Key Skills Learned

🍋‍🟩Fine Motor Control: Squeezing citrus and stirring liquids build the hand strength required for writing.

🍋‍🟩Math and Measurement: Measuring water and sugar helps kids understand volume and fractions.

🍋‍🟩Sensory Exploration: Tasting, smelling, and touching teach them about different flavors and textures.

🍋‍🟩Scientific Thinking: Watching sugar dissolve demonstrates how ingredients change states in liquids.

🍋‍🟩Independence: Completing a multi-step recipe boosts a child's confidence.

🍋‍🟩Kitchen Safety: Safely washing, cutting, and pouring builds kitchen safety habits.

Check out our kiddos as they make limeade in class😊

06/07/2026

🌟 Now Accepting Applications! 🌟

Eckerd Connects Early Head Start CCP is now enrolling children ages 0–2! 👶✨

💬 Know someone who could benefit? If you have any family, friends, or know anyone with a child ages 0–2 in need of childcare, please send them our way!

We offer scholarship-funded comprehensive services to support your child’s growth and your family’s success, including early learning, developmental screenings, family support, and more. 💙

✅ Walk-in applications available

📅 Tuesdays: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

📅 Thursdays: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

📍 Events at the Chester H. Ferguson Law Center- 1610 N. Tampa St, Tampa, FL 33602

Priority enrollment is available for families with the greatest need.

📣 Don’t wait spaces are limited and enrollment ends July 23, 2026!

06/05/2026

Teaching children how to brush their teeth is an important part of developing healthy habits. Learning proper toothbrushing techniques helps prevent cavities, keeps teeth and gums healthy, and encourages children to take responsibility for their personal hygiene.

🪥The children enjoyed watching and practicing toothbrushing skills with the toothbrushing dragon and giraffe. These fun characters helped make learning engaging and interactive. As the children followed along, they practiced brushing all areas of their teeth, learned the importance of brushing, and discussed how regular brushing helps keep their smiles healthy and strong😁.

Through hands-on practice and playful learning experiences, the children gained confidence in their toothbrushing skills and developed a better understanding of the importance of daily oral hygiene.

06/03/2026

In this WOW Wednesday, we would like to take the opportunity to highlight and celebrate some of the businesses started by our parents, teachers, and community partners. We are grateful for the many entrepreneurs and supporters who help strengthen our school community.

We would also like to spread the word that we are now accepting applications for the upcoming school year. If you know a family who may be interested, we encourage you to share this post and help us reach more members of our community.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to another wonderful school year!

05/27/2026

During our final special edition newsletter celebrating our 10-year anniversary, we will take a walk through the origin of Early Head Start Child Care Partnership. We would also like to thank you for allowing our program the opportunity to serve you!

05/25/2026

05/20/2026

For this week’s newsletter, we would like to take a moment to honor the Director of Eckerd Connects Early Head Start. This special tribute is for Mrs. Carlita’s 10-year anniversary of service with the program.

05/18/2026

🤔Did you know, Succulents are frequently compared to educators because both are highly resilient, able to thrive in harsh, high-pressure environments, and have a unique knack for helping others "succ-eed"🌟.

A direct comparison highlights just how much they have in common:

🎍The Environment: Succulents adapt to thrive in arid, desert-like conditions. Similarly, education staff frequently function in under-resourced classrooms where they are expected to blossom under pressure.
🎍Nurturing Growth: Succulents are famously gifted to teachers as tokens of appreciation because both plant and staff act as nurturers, cultivating growth and helping young minds bloom.
🎍The Danger of "Over-watering": The number one rule of succulent care is that too much water leads to root rot. In education, an overload of top-down administrative mandates, micromanagement, or testing requirements can quickly lead to "burnout".
🎍Propagation: Succulents readily propagate and multiply; great educators are known for cloning their best lessons, spreading knowledge, and planting seeds of success that last a lifetime.

For this reason, teachers at our Child Care Partner sites were given the opportunity to create their own succulent flower pot.