TEACH Frequently Asked Questions

1. Gather your information and documents needed to complete the application.

2. Create or log in to your Children's Form Portal account.

3. Upload your required documents on your My Education page.

4. Fill out the TEACH application.

• For best results in submitting or approving an application, or uploading documents to your personal account, use a laptop or desktop computer (not cellphone or tablet) and the Google Chrome internet browser.
• Make sure there are no accidental spaces before or after your email address or password.
• The Portal recognizes spaces as intentional characters and will prevent your email and password from being received properly.

Once an application has been completed and submitted by applicant and their sponsoring center, it is hidden from view as we process it. You will be informed of the decision status by email within approximately 7-14 business days.

Please submit a request to Change Personal Account Email

All updates to center business accounts must be made through the Create/ Update Business Account request form, and must be verified by Children's Forum Staff.

Create/ Update Business Account request form The director of record, or appointed center/ agency representative must submit a request to update the account through our Portal. The request will be reviewed within 2 business days for approval or a request for more information.

The center can login to their business account at any time to approve your application. They are not required to access the account or application from an emailed link. If they do not have a business account yet they can make one now. They do not need an email from us about your application to request a business account.

We only accept foreign education evaluations from this approved list

TEACH requires an evaluation for all foreign education. Translation by itself is not sufficient.

• The diploma and evaluation must be combined as one .pdf document before uploading it to your personal account. If you need help please call 877-358-3224 Ext1.
• We will send you an email (to the email address for your personal account) with an explanation why a document was rejected. Please check your email from a message from RegistryPortal@thechildrensforum.com

TEACH can accept any of the following as proof of high school education:

1. Regionally Accredited High School/ GED
   • Can be a diploma or a high school transcript
   • Must include the participants' name, school name and graduation date or month/year
2. Foreign School Evaluation
   • Must be evaluated by NACES or AICE members only.
   • Combine ALL pages of the evaluation and a copy of the original foreign education document as one .pdf document before uploading. Individual pages will be rejected.
3. College or University Degree
   • The college or university must be regionally accredited
   • This can be either a diploma or a college transcript (All pages, degree awarded must be listed)
4. College or University unofficial Transcript
   • The college or university must be regionally accredited
   • Must be a complete transcript (All pages)
     **Note: In order to prove a Diploma/GED, it needs to show the school's name and date awarded (month/year or full date)
     **A major/ degree program must be declared on the transcript.
5. Director Credential
6. Staff Credential with no expiration date aka 12/31/2099

Call our office Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm (877-358-3224 Ext1) and we can assist you. Or email a request for assistance to TeachApplications@thechildrensforum.com

Accreditation ensures that the education offered meets specific standards set by a review board that examines the quality and continued development of curriculum. Educational institutions are either regionally or nationally accredited. Accreditation is a voluntary process that ensures a school meets a universal standard for quality. This gives an institution and its graduates credibility with other institutions and employers.

The most commonly overlooked question in the Employer section of the application is the last question that asks if the director has finished approving the application. They must click the button to change from “no” to “yes” and submit the application to us.

The Employer is finished with the application once the application status is either "Pending document verification" or "Submission Complete".

Applications will disappear from view as they are being processed. When the contract is awarded it will be shown under the MyTEACH tab in your personal account.

Counselors are assigned by the school you selected to attend. They assist with all of your scholarship questions, claims, and keep you on track with the next steps in your education. Consider them a valuable resource toward your professional development goals. When the application has finished processing, the contract and counselor will be listed in your personal account under the MyTEACH tab > contracts tab

The sponsor is the employer/ early childhood program place of employment; they agree to cover a portion of tuition or fees on most scholarship models.

The contribution split is how the center informs us which level of sponsorship they choose (on National CDA fee only, and credential renewal scholarship models) or if they will issue a raise or bonus at the completion of the scholarship contract.

FL Staff Credential

The FL Staff Credential is issued by Florida's Dept. of Children's & Families (FL-DCF). Full requirements are available on the FL-DCF website.

The purpose of the staff credential requirement is to ensure individuals in childcare programs have advanced their education and experience in order to provide developmentally appropriate care.

To qualify for a staff credential, a childcare professional must have one of the following:

• An active National Early Childhood Credential (NECC). Currently, the FL Department of Children and Families recognizes the following credentials as meeting the definition of National Early Childhood Certificate:
  • Child Development Associate (CDA)
  • National Childcare Association
  • Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)
  • American Montessori Society (AMS)
  • Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education
• Formal Educational Qualifications.
• An active Birth Through Five Child Care Credential, which can be met by one of the following
  • Florida Childcare Professional Credential (FCCPC),
  • Florida Department of Education Childcare Apprenticeship Certificate (CCAC), or
  • Early Childhood Professional Certificate (ECPC).

National CDA

The National CDA is issued by the Coucil for Professional Recognition (CPR). Full requirements are available on the CPR website.

The Child Development Associate® (National CDA) Credential™ is the most widely recognized credential in early childhood education (ECE), and it is a key steppingstone on the path of career advancement in ECE. The CDA® is based on a core set of competency standards that guide early childhood professionals toward becoming qualified educators of young children.

Currently, the FL Department of Children and Families recognizes the National CDA as meeting the definition of National Early Childhood Certificate.

TEACH Scholarship Florida offers the following scholarship models.

• Earn a Florida Staff Credential for the first time, with the option to add NCDA fee
• Get help paying for the National CDA assessment fee ONLY- if you have already taken the required 120 hours training
• Get help paying for a Second setting/ additional type of National CDA- fee ONLY
• Formal Education Qualification (FEQ) Earn a Florida Staff Credential which will never expire by taking 2 college credit classes in ECE in addition to your previously earned 2-year degree or higher

If you need assistance to determine the best model for you or your staff member please call our office 877-358-3224 Ext1.