Blossom Montessori School for the Deaf is a private non-profit organization.  Financial assistance may be available in the form of partial scholarships for those parents who qualify based on financial need. Parents who feel they are in need of financial assistance may apply for a partial scholarship by contacting the school.  Scholarship recipients and their families are expected to fully participate in the Blossom program including the parents’ regular attendance at scheduled school family activities.

John M. McKay Scholarship Program

Florida’s school choice programs ensure that no child will be left behind by allowing parents to choose the best educational setting for their child.

The John M. McKay Scholarship Program allows parents of students with disabilities in the state of Florida to choose the best learning environment for their children by helping fund the cost of tuition at the school of the parents’ choice.

In order to be eligible for the McKay Scholarship Program, a student must apply for the program prior to withdrawing from public school. The student must also have an Individual Education Plan (IEP), and:

• Have been enrolled and reported for funding in a Florida public school during the October and February Florida Education Finance Program surveys (Grades K-12); or
• Have been a pre-kindergarten student who was enrolled and reported for funding in a Florida public school during the preceding October and February Florida Education Finance Program surveys and was at least 4 years old; or
• Have attended the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind during the preceding October and February student membership surveys (Grades K-12).

If your child does not meet these requirements but has an IEP and is a dependent child of a member of the United States Armed Forces who transfers to a school in Florida from out of state or from a foreign country pursuant to a parent’s permanent change of station orders the child may be eligible for a McKay Scholarship.

To learn more about the McKay Scholarship Program, visit their website at www.floridaschoolchoice.org .

Step Up For Students Scholarship Program

Step Up for Students is a private foundation and a Florida Association of Scholarship Funding Organizations (FLA-SFO) member, awarding annual Corporate Income Tax Credit (CTC) Scholarships to eligible Florida students entering Kindergarten (K) through 12th grade from eligible households to help them attend an eligible Florida private school or the out-of-district (out-of-county) Florida public school of their choice. The scholarships are for tuition and books (private schools).

Step Up for Students awards scholarships for up to the maximum scholarship amount allowed by law of $4,106.  Parental tuition payments are necessary when an eligible private school’s tuition amount is more than $4,106.  The first step is to see if you are eligible to receive a Step up for Students Scholarship. This is based on household income and an eligibility chart can be found on their website.  Also, your child has to be entering Kindergarten or First Grade OR if they are in the Second grade or higher, the previous year must have been spent at a public school.

For more information please log on to www.stepupforstudents.org.

Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) Scholarship Program

Voluntary Pre-kindergarten (VPK) is a legislatively mandated program designed to prepare every four-year-old in Florida for kindergarten and build the foundation for their educational success. The VPK program gives each child an opportunity to perform better in school and throughout life with quality programs that include high literacy standards, accountability, appropriate curricula, substantial instruction periods, manageable class sizes, and qualified instructors. All eligible four-year-olds are entitled to participate in one of the VPK program options.

The VPK program is FREE for all four-year-olds born on or before September 1 who reside in Florida and has high quality standards that include:

• Qualified instructors
• Age appropriate curricula with a strong emphasis on early literacy skills
• Manageable class sizes

To help answer your questions or concerns about Voluntary Pre-kindergarten (VPK), VPK staff are available Monday through Friday, from 8:00am until 5:00pm by calling toll free 1-866-357-3239 or 850-921-3180.

Parents/Guardians may enroll their children in the Voluntary Pre-kindergarten Program (VPK) by
following the three easy steps listed below. Children will not be officially enrolled until all steps are completed.

STEP1
~ Complete the VPK Child Application

The application may be printed by going to www.childcarepinellas.org or be obtained by calling the Coordinated Child Care of Pinellas, Inc. (CCC) office at (727) 547-5782. Applications are also available at any CCC locations.

STEP 2
~ Submit the Application in Person

To complete the application process, parents MUST submit the application in person and will need to bring a copyof the following:

• Proof of Florida Residency
  Example: recent water bill with parent name and physical address or Florida Driver License with current address.
• Birth Certificate/Proof of Age
  Children must be 4-years old on or before September 1st.

When the application process is complete, the parent will receive a list of certified VPK providers and a Certificate of Eligibility for the parent to present to Blossom.

STEP 3
~ Register with Blossom.  Contact our school, take a tour and meet our administrative staff and our teachers, fill out the required paperwork, and submit the Certificate of Eligibility.

Coordinated Child Care Program

Coordinated Child Care of Pinellas, Inc., is a private, not-for-profit corporation designated by the state of Florida as the Central Agency for School Readiness since 1969.  Their purpose is to:

• assist Pinellas County families with finding child care
• helplow/middle income families pay for child care
• provideimprovement resources for child care providers
• provide other family support and education services

Please call or visit Coordinated Child Care of Pinellas, Inc. for more information.

6698 68TH Avenue North Suite B Pinellas Park, Florida 33781
(727) 547-5700 Fax (727) 547-5721

Website: www.childcarepinellas.org

The chart below is the maximum allowable family income for Coordinated Child Care Scholarship services.

Family Size	CCC Scholarship
2	$21,000
3	$26,400
4	$31,800
5	$37,200
6	$42,600
7	$48,000
8	$53,400
9	$58,800
10	$64,200

 

Blossom Scholarship Program

In an effort to assist every student and family that can benefit from the unique educational
environment at Blossom, we have set up the Blossom Scholarship Program, which may provide a partial scholarship to qualified families.  Through an application process that is designed to ascertain the specific financial needs of each family, we carefully evaluate each application in order to provide financial assistance whenever possible.

The Blossom Scholarship Program is funded through various fundraising events throughout each year and through the generous contributions of the board and members of the community.