Central Florida Early Steps

08/05/2026

Early Steps is blessed to have Elizabeth Hernandez working with families! She is a wealth of wisdom for professionals and for families. Congratulations Elizabeth!!

08/05/2026

Wonderful Program!

🧱 Building stronger futures, one step at a time!

Head Start is more than early education—it’s a foundation for healthy children, happy families, and supportive communities. From birth through age 5, children receive quality education, health care, nutrition, and essential family support to help them thrive.

Every child deserves a head start. Let’s build a brighter future together! 🌟

For more information and to see if your family is eligible for Early Head Start for children up to age 3 in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties, as well as for Head Start Preschool for children ages 3 to 5 in Osceola and Seminole counties, click https://4cflorida.org/parents/early-head-start-and-head-start-ehs-hs/

08/05/2026

16 Days of Free Swim Lessons for Eligible Families
VOUCHER ELIGIBILITY
- Proof of income (gross family income of no more than 200% of the federal poverty guidelines)
- Proof of Florida residency
- Child’s date of birth (only children ages 1-7 at the time of application are eligible)
- Lessons must begin within 180 days from date of voucher issuance
********Link to apply is found below. It is fast and easy.

🏊‍♂️SWIM VOUCHERS ARE OPEN!
The Florida swim voucher is now open!

During a recent survey that I put out to the community, 70% of families of children with
disabilities had no idea that this was an option. There are still parameters of who is eligible, however, this year because of the legislative advocacy by many and the support of legislators like Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith, Senator Clay Yarborough, Rep Kim Kendall, Representative Anna V. Eskamani and others passionate about drowning prevention, the voucher now goes to age 7 (previously age 4)

If your child meets the following criteria, please please, go to the link below and apply for the voucher, there’s also a list of voucher approved swim schools on that page.

VOUCHER ELIGIBILITY

- Proof of income (gross family income of no more than 200% of the federal poverty guidelines)
- Proof of Florida residency
- Child’s date of birth (only children ages 1-7 at the time of application are eligible)
- Lessons must begin within 180 days from date of voucher issuance

https://www.floridahealth.gov/individual-family-health/child-infant-youth/drowning-prevention/swimmingvouchers/

We would LOVE to see expansion of the voucher and will continue to advocate for ALL children to have access to swim lessons.

08/03/2026

Central Florida Early Steps feels so grateful to have Jenny Lepak, ITDS, supporting families. Congratulations Jenny!

07/29/2026

Central Florida Early Steps loved seeing so many friends from the community at the Autism, Hope, Health, and Abilities Conference this year and making new friends. A highlight was hearing the Director of the Agency for People with Disabilities,(APD) Bob Asztalos present and also the Manager of the Central FL APD office, Jeannette Estes.

07/29/2026

07/27/2026

36 years ago today the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed.

in 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law. The ADA is a landmark civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on physical and mental disabilities. It also requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations and establishes accessibility requirements for public spaces.

The law is divided into five titles:
• Title I prohibits disability discrimination in employment for employers with 15 or more employees.
• Title II guarantees accessible state and local government programs, public transportation, and public housing.
• Title III ensures equal access to the goods, services, facilities, and accommodations of places of public accommodation.
• Title IV requires telecommunications companies to provide functionally equivalent services for individuals with disabilities.
• Title V includes technical provisions and protects individuals from retaliation for exercising their rights under the ADA.

The ADA was the result of years of advocacy. In 1978, the National Council on Disability (NCD) was established and later recommended Congress pass a "comprehensive equal opportunity law." The first version of the ADA was introduced in 1988 by Senator Lowell Weicker and Representative Tony Coelho with bipartisan support before being reintroduced in the 101st Congress. On March 13, 1990, hundreds of disability rights activists gathered at the U.S. Capitol to demand the bill's passage, with more than 100 protesters arrested. On July 26, 1990, the House passed the bill and President Bush signed it into law.

Since 1990, the ADA has continued to evolve. The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 broadened protections after several Supreme Court decisions narrowed the law's scope, and ongoing advocacy has expanded accessibility standards to include digital spaces such as websites and other online services.

07/26/2026

Today is National Disability Independance Day!

A Mighty Girl's Pick of the Day is in honor of National Disability Independence Day: "All The Way To The Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything" by Annette Bay Pimentel. Jennifer Keelan was just an ordinary girl who happened to use a wheelchair. But even as an 8-year-old, she knew her life would be a lot easier if people would think about what people with disabilities needed -- like cuts in a curb, lifts and elevators, and ramps so kids could easily go to school.

So Jennifer joined adult activists in the disability rights movement, and in 1990, as Congress debated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) -- a law that would make public spaces accessible -- she got out of her wheelchair at the bottom of the steps to the Capitol Building and climbed -- all the way to the top. Her part in the famous Capitol Crawl helped bring nationwide attention to the activists' fight -- leading Congress to pass world's first comprehensive civil rights law protecting the rights people with disabilities! This inspiring picture book shows young readers that anyone, no matter their age, can make an impact. Highly recommended for ages 5 to 9.

"All The Way To The Top" is available at https://www.amightygirl.com/all-the-way-to-the-top

For more books for children and teens starring Mighty Girls with disabilities of all varieties, visit our blog post "Many Ways To Be Mighty: 35 Books Starring Mighty Girls with Disabilities" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=12992

To inspire children and teens with the true stories of courageous girls and women who changed the world, visit our blog post, "Dissent Is Patriotic: 50 Books About Women Who Fought for Change," at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=14364

For one of our favorite shirts celebrating the power of girls and women, check out the "Though She Be But Little She Is Fierce" t-shirt -- available in a variety of styles and colors for all ages at https://www.amightygirl.com/fierce-t-shirt

07/20/2026

Congratulations to the amazing Aleksandar Janjusic, the Central Florida Early Steps Employee of the Month! Alek's strong work ethic and positive attitude make him a true asset to the Early Steps Team.

07/19/2026

Today!