VPK and early learning in Sebastian, Florida

Free VPK and subsidized School Readiness care for Sebastian children are run by the Early Learning Coalition of Indian River, Martin and Okeechobee Counties, from its Indian River County office in Vero Beach.

The coalition, known as ELCIRMO, is the local arm of a statewide system. The Florida Department of Education Division of Early Learning works in partnership with 30 early learning coalitions and Redlands Christian Migrant Association to deliver three programs: School Readiness, Voluntary Prekindergarten and Child Care Resource and Referral. For a Sebastian family, the coalition that handles the paperwork is the one that serves all of Indian River County.

The coalition traces its history to 1999. Its About the Coalition page says it was originally created in 1999 as a School Readiness Coalition and became an Early Learning Coalition with the signing of the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) legislation on January 2, 2005. It describes itself as responsible for the planning and implementation of school readiness and voluntary pre-kindergarten services across Indian River, Martin and Okeechobee counties, and says it supports community providers who serve approximately 7,800 children daily through School Readiness, VPK and free Resource and Referral programs.

The two programs answer different questions. VPK is free and available to all Florida four-year-olds and five-year-olds. School Readiness is child care assistance tied to work or school and income, with a parent copayment. A Sebastian family can use both: the coalition’s School Readiness page notes that School Readiness works in cooperation with Head Start, Early Head Start and the VPK program.

A Sebastian child qualifies for free VPK by turning 4 on or before September 1 of the school year and living in Florida.

The rule appears in both the coalition’s guidance and state law. The ELCIRMO VPK page states that FREE VPK is available to all Florida four-year-olds and five-year olds, and that the child must be four years of age on or before September 1st of the school year in which they will attend VPK. Florida Statutes s. 1002.53 puts it as a child who resides in this state who will have attained the age of 4 years on or before September 1 of the school year being eligible during either that school year or the following school year.

That second year matters for summer birthdays in Indian River County. The coalition explains that a child whose 4th birthday falls between February 2nd and September 1st may postpone VPK a year and enroll at age 5. A Sebastian child born in July can therefore start VPK at four or wait and attend at five.

Families pick a format. The ELCIRMO page lists two choices: a 540 instructional hour school year program or a 300 hour summer program. VPK in Indian River County is offered through approved private licensed child care centers, licensed family child care homes, faith-based providers, and public and private schools (ELCIRMO).

The hour counts are set in statute. Under s. 1002.55, each school-year program delivered by a private provider must comprise at least 540 instructional hours, with classes of at least 4 students but not more than 20, and at least one credentialed instructor for each class of 11 children or fewer. Under s. 1002.61, a summer program must comprise at least 300 instructional hours, may not begin earlier than May 1, and caps classes at 12 students, rules that apply to every summer VPK class in Sebastian.

Sebastian parents register for VPK online through Florida’s Early Learning Family Portal, then take the Certificate of Eligibility issued by the Indian River coalition to a VPK provider.

State law routes every application through the coalition. Under s. 1002.53(4), each parent enrolling a child must complete and submit an application to the early learning coalition through the single point of entry, accompanied by a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate, unless the department authorizes an alternative proof of age. For Indian River County, that coalition is ELCIRMO.

The ELCIRMO VPK page lists three documents: the child’s original birth certificate, the legal guardian’s ID, and proof of Florida residence, adding that a PO Box is not an acceptable proof of residence. Accepted proofs of residency include a utility bill, pay stub, residential rental agreement, Florida identification card, property tax assessment showing a homestead exemption or a current Florida driver license. If the birth certificate is missing, the coalition accepts a shot record signed by the child’s physician, a passport, a military identification card or an insurance policy on the child’s life that is in force for at least two years.

After the application is in, the Indian River coalition reviews it and emails instructions. If the application is approved, the family can download the Certificate of Eligibility to take to any VPK provider (ELCIRMO).

School Readiness in Indian River County is a state-funded child care subsidy for Sebastian parents who work at least 20 hours a week or attend school, with a sliding-scale copayment and a waiting list.

The ELCIRMO School Readiness page states that this state funded program requires clients to be working 20 hours weekly or attending school, and that applying for child care assistance is a two-part process. Once the application and documents are received, the coalition communicates by e-mail about its status. Because of limited capacity, the waiting list is on a first-come, first-serve basis, and families must update waiting list information every 6 months to keep an application active. Sebastian parents with eligibility questions can call the coalition’s Family Services staff at 772-220-1220; the state Division of Early Learning Child Care Resource Referral Network is at 1-866-357-3239.

The income bar changed in 2025. The coalition’s Sliding Fees Scale page explains that, as a result of House Bill 1255 passed during the 2025 legislative session, the entry income threshold for School Readiness changed from 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL) to 55% of the state median income (SMI), effective October 1, 2025. Both the School Readiness and School Readiness Plus sliding fee scales were revised, and the coalition has posted 2026-2027 scales for Indian River County families, with assessed copayments staying in effect for households within their 12-month care authorization period.

Order of service is set by law. Florida Statutes s. 1002.87 directs each early learning coalition to give priority first to a child younger than 13 from a family that includes a parent receiving temporary cash assistance and subject to federal work requirements, and next to an at-risk child younger than 9, before the coalition’s local priorities apply to other Indian River County families.

The Indian River coalition publishes an Indian River County provider list and a separate Summer VPK 2026 list, and its free referral service matches Sebastian families with providers.

The coalition’s Approved School Readiness and VPK Providers by County page posts separate lists for Indian River County Providers and Indian River County Summer VPK 2026 Providers, alongside lists for Martin and Okeechobee counties. Sebastian providers fall under the Indian River County lists.

Personal help is free. According to the ELCIRMO Child Care Resource and Referral page, the service links parents to child care providers and other agencies by referring families to a database of all legally operating child care providers, and it refers to over 160 child care centers and family child care homes in three counties, in addition to Head Start, Redlands Christian Migrant Association, after-school programs and summer camps. Staff take calls Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and the Indian River office is listed at 2459 St. Lucie Avenue (14th Avenue) in Vero Beach.

Public schools are part of the picture. State law requires each coalition to coordinate with the school districts in its region on enrolling children in prekindergarten programs delivered by public schools, and to give each enrolling parent a profile of every private provider and public school delivering VPK (s. 1002.53). In Sebastian, the Sebastian Elementary School of the Arts site lists Grades PreK-5 and the front office number 772-978-8190.

The early learning office serving Sebastian is the coalition’s Indian River County Office at 2459 St. Lucie Avenue in Vero Beach, open weekdays 8:00 to 5:00.

The ELCIRMO Locations page lists the Indian River County Office at 2459 St. Lucie Avenue (14th Ave.), Vero Beach, FL 32960, phone 772-220-1220, toll free 877-220-1223, with office hours Monday to Friday 8:00 to 5:00. The main office is in Stuart, in Martin County. No coalition office is listed in Sebastian itself, and VPK registration runs through Florida’s Early Learning Family Portal.

The coalition’s VPK page also lists (877) 220-1223 for VPK questions from Sebastian and other Indian River County families (ELCIRMO).

Last verified: October 11, 2026, on the Early Learning Coalition of Indian River, Martin and Okeechobee Counties website.