Gainesville For All (GNV4ALL), sponsors of the Gainesville Empowerment Zone Family Learning Center (GEZFLC), recently announced that the GEZFLC has achieved its APPLE (Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment) business status.  

The Florida Association for Child Care Management (FACCM) stamped its approval on the GEZFLC in a vote on Thursday, marking the end of an accreditation process the learning center has been working toward for the last year, according to James Lawrence, president and CEO of GNV4ALL.  

“We’re ecstatic…” Lawrence said in an interview with Mainstreet. “We always knew that we were, and we are, a high-quality facility, but now it has been verified with the attainment of our accreditation.”  

The process for GEZFLC to receive its APPLE accreditation was one Executive Director Elizebeth Woods described as “very rigorous and intentional.” 

“It required reviewing of our entire program, including curriculum implementation, classroom environments, staff qualifications and professional development, child assessments, family engagement practices, health and safety procedures, and administrative operations,” she said in an email reply to Mainstreet, adding they were also required to submit documentation showing that their policies and daily practices continually align with high-quality early childhood education. 

In addition to reviewing documentation, Woods said the accreditation process also involved “classroom observations and program evaluations to ensure that what is written on paper is truly reflected in practice.” 

“A strong emphasis was placed on developmentally appropriate instruction, positive teacher-child interactions, learning environment quality, and continuous quality improvement,” she said, adding that the APPLE accreditation “required a deep level of accountability, collaboration, and commitment from our entire staff.” 

In a GNV4ALL press release, Lawrence and Woods said they were incredibly proud of their dedicated staff. They noted that staff members were hard workers who had an unwavering commitment to children and families. 

The GEZFLC leaders also extended gratitude to their donors and supporters. 

 “Their generosity and belief in our mission has allowed us to grow, strengthen our programs, and achieve this level of excellence,” Lawrence and Woods said in the release. “This success is a celebration of all of our efforts as a community.” 

The APPLE accreditation makes GEZFLC eligible to apply for Florida’s Gold Seal Quality Care Program.  

“It’s a really big deal,” said Lawrence, adding that it can lead to an “increase in reimbursements from the Early Learning Coalition of as much as 20%.” 

Other financial benefits GEZFLC could receive by partaking in the program include Ad valorem tax relief, sales tax exemption on educational supplies and materials, and eligibility to participate in Voluntary Prekindergarten, according to the APPLE Accreditation website.  

Lawrence said they submitted their application for the Gold Seal Quality Care Program on Monday. GEZFLC will join only 40 of 123 childcare locations in Alachua County to hold the Gold Seal designation, according to the release. 

The GEZFLC opened in August of 2023 to help close the achievement gap in Alachua County. 

“Our overall arching goal here is to help the [Alachua County] School Board and all who are about the existing situation of a widening academic achievement gap between Black students and white students in Alachua County,” Lawrence said, adding that gap is one of the worst in Florida and the U.S. “So, this is our way of really getting to that problem, by getting to the families early.” 

Now in its third academic year, Lawrence said with the support of the community, the GEZFLC “will start to impact the achievement gap.” 

Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.