Forum Corner

Forum Unveils New Website

The Children's Forum has recently unveiled a new website that has a fresh look and feel, is easy to navigate, and is full of valuable information for the early care and education field. New features include a News You Can Use section containing state and national news articles that affect the child care industry, a Forum spotlight to highlight upcoming events and a Newsroom with press releases and media coverage.

The Children's Forum Splash Page
View the Forum's Updated Website

School-Age Services Plans Events for 2009

The Forum's School-Age Services Division is currently planning events for January through June of 2009, including several regional Afterschool Administrator's Seminars, three regional 'Survive the Summer' mini-conferences in May, and an increased number of local seminars focusing on quality standards for afterschool programs. Training dates will be posted on the Forum's website in December. For more information about School-Age services, visit www.thechildrensforum.com/training.php.

Operating FCCPC Training Programs or Gold Seal Associations: Your Questions Answered

Are you the administrator of a Florida Child Care Professional Credential (FCCPC) Training Program or one of the 14 approved agencies participating in the Gold Seal Quality Care Program? If so, you may have questions about your obligations and responsibilities under the requirements of these programs.

Read the full story

Forum President and CEO Phyllis Kalifeh Candidate for NAEYC Board

Phyllis Kalifeh, President and CEO of the Children's Forum, is a candidate for the Governing Board of the National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAEYC). The 2009 applicants will be introduced in a candidate forum at the annual NAEYC conference next week in Dallas. Phyllis is running for a four-year seat on the NAEYC Board. Another Floridian, Luis Hernandez of Miami, is a candidate for the president's slot on the Board. Read Phyllis's Candidate Statement for the NAEYC board. This statement will also be published in the January issue of Young Children and will appear on the NAEYC website.

Board Member Recognitions

Will Blechman Receives Children's Champion Award

Dr. Wil Blechman, a Children's Forum board member, and Rep. Janet Long received the 2008 Children's Champion award from the Early Childhood Association of Florida at their annual conference in September. As a retired rheumatologist. Dr. Blechman developed a major interest in children's issues and recent research on brain development in the preschool child. Throughout the year, Dr. Blechman travels the state speaking to early care and education professionals about the brain development of young children. He is a past president of KIWANIS International and was instrumental in establishing the organization's international Young Children: Priority One program.

Phyllis Kalifeh, President and CEO of the Children's Forum, and Ann Levy, Board Chair of the Children's Forum, are past recipients of the Children's Champion Award.

Susan Gold Promoted to Chair of the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council

The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council (FDDC) has elected Susan Gold, a Children's Forum board member, to the position of chairperson. Susan is an associate professor of Pediatrics and Education at the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami. The Mailman Center is a designated Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service (UCE). Susan also chairs the Public Policy and Advocacy Committee at the Mailman Center and has previously served as vice-chairperson of the FDDC council.

Robert Buesing Named by Peers in 2008 Edition of Best Lawyers in America

Robert H. Buesing, a commercial litigation and construction lawyer at Trenam Kemker and Board Vice Chair of the Children's Forum, is featured in the 2008 edition of Best Lawyers in America. Best Lawyers compiles lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional colleagues. A listing in Best Lawyers is widely regarded within the legal profession as a high honor and achievement, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers.

In Memoriam

Kay Schisler Freeman

Kay Schisler Freeman, the Forum's first Child Care Resource and Referral Network Director, passed away on the morning of October 26. An original New Yorker, Kay moved to Tallahassee in 1989 and was the Executive Director of the Big Bend Homeless Coalition. The work she has done for the non-profit organizations of Tallahassee is widely recognized, establishing her legacy as a champion in the fight to help others less fortunate. She also served many years on the Florida Coalition for the Homeless Board of Directors advocating for the needs of the homeless statewide. In 2005, Kay was honored as the Leader of the Year at the Leadership Tallahassee Distinguished Leadership Awards, for her achievements in improving the quality of life for many in the community.

Georgia Marie Bethea Weaver

On October 12, Georgia Marie Bethea Weaver entered into eternal rest. Georgia participated in the Florida PERKS professional development project administered by the Forum. She had recently become a Directors Network member at the Forum to take part in ongoing career development activities in the early care and education field. Additionally, Georgia received an associate's degree in child development and had a never-ending passion for children and their early childhood development. Her accolades and achievements include pre-K teacher at First Presbyterian Christian School, director of the Springfield Community Daycare Center and a director of the Childcare Network Center. She was a home manager with Bayshore Cluster, a home for the developmentally disabled.

A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one deed.
-Henrik Ibsen

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