Tandem and ELC of Polk County Launch Workforce Partnership for Polk County Providers

Tandem is partnering with the Early Learning Coalition of Polk County (ELC Polk) to give child care providers across Polk County a stronger set of tools for keeping classrooms staffed and growing their teams.

This partnership goes a step further than coverage. As of August 3rd, ELC Polk providers have access to fee-free substitutes (up to 15 shifts per month), ongoing workforce education, and accredited professional development for their full-time staff.

A Win for the Whole Community

Staffing stability isn't just a center problem. It's a community one.

When a classroom is fully staffed, a director isn't pulled off the floor to cover. A teacher isn't carrying a second group of children on top of her own. A family isn't getting a call at 6 a.m. asking if they can keep their child home today.

Reliable child care is what lets parents show up to work. It's what lets working families across Polk County stay on the trajectory they're building for their kids. When centers can't keep classrooms open, the cost lands on families first, and on the local economy not far behind.

It also lands on children. The earliest years are the ones that shape the most. Consistent caregivers, consistent routines, and consistent learning environments are the foundation of healthy early development. Every day a classroom is short-staffed is a day that foundation gets a little less stable.

This partnership is about building the version of Polk County's early learning system that families, employers, and children deserve. Centers that stay open. Teachers who stay in the field. Classrooms that show up for the kids in them every single day.

Why We Came Together

ELC Polk identified the same pattern Tandem has seen across the state. Centers struggling to fill open shifts. Teachers leaving the field within their first few years. A workforce that needs more than competitive wages to stay. It's the same shortage the South Florida Sun Sentinel covered in its reporting on the preschool teacher shortage, and it looks no different in Lakeland, Winter Haven, or Bartow.

We partnered to give ELC Polk providers tools that address all three at once. Reliable substitute coverage for the days that fall apart. Ongoing education for the directors managing it all. And professional development for the people doing the actual work in front of children.

For Tandem, this partnership is part of a broader commitment. We want every provider in Florida to have access to compliant substitute teachers and the workforce tools that support them. It's the same work we brought to Northwest Florida when Tandem launched with ELC of Escambia County, and we're building it coalition by coalition. Staffed classrooms mean quality education for children from birth to five, and that's the outcome we're building toward.

Investing in the People Doing the Work

Substitute coverage helps when a classroom needs a teacher. Professional development helps the teachers already there stay, grow, and do the work better. You can't have one without the other for long.

That's why this partnership includes accredited trainings designed specifically for infant, toddler, and preschool educators. The trainings are accessible from a provider's Tandem account and free for all of their educators. One CEU is awarded per training, too, so they'll help with annual PD requirements. Win-win.

It builds on work ELC Polk is already doing. The coalition already brings training and professional learning opportunities to early educators across the county. This partnership adds another layer to it, and it reflects a belief ELC Polk holds out loud: every child, caregiver, and teacher deserves the resources to succeed.

What Tandem Brings to ELC Polk Providers

If you're new to Tandem, here's the short version. We're a staffing platform built exclusively for child care. Every teacher in our pool has been screened and credentialed against Florida's specific compliance requirements before they can be booked for your program.

A few things worth knowing:

You set the rate. Centers decide what they pay their substitutes. That protects pay equity on your team and keeps your costs well below traditional agencies.

You pick your requirements. When you post a shift, you set the requirements. We match you with people who actually meet them.

You don't pay until they work. No subscriptions. No monthly minimums. No placement fees if you decide to hire one of our teachers full-time after 120 hours together.

Compliance is handled. We do the background checks, the screenings, the verifications. You don't have to chase paperwork.

What This Partnership Unlocks

ELC Polk providers get three concrete benefits as part of the partnership:

1. Fee-free access to Tandem. You'll only pay the substitute's hourly rate. ELC Polk covers Tandem's administrative fee on every shift you book, up to 15 shifts per month.
2. Quarterly workforce webinars. Best practices on staffing, retention, onboarding, and workforce stability, with experts from across the industry. Registration is available through ELC Polk.
3. Professional development for your staff. Accredited trainings designed for infant, toddler, and preschool educators, available directly through your Tandem account.

Each benefit addresses a different layer of the same problem. Substitutes close the immediate gap. Webinars sharpen how directors lead their teams. Professional development invests in the teachers already in your classrooms.

We've built a dedicated landing page for ELC Polk providers with everything you need to get started: join-tandem.com/partners/elc-polk.

How to Get Involved

Centers in Polk County: Visit our partnership page at join-tandem.com/partners/elc-polk to create your free Tandem profile, start booking substitutes, and unlock your professional development trainings. There's no commitment and no upfront cost.

Teachers in Polk County: Download the Tandem app to begin your onboarding. We'll walk you through every compliance step required to start booking shifts at centers in your area. Get started at join-tandem.com/childcare-workers/how-it-works.

About Tandem

Tandem is a purpose-built staffing platform for the child care industry. We connect licensed centers with vetted substitute teachers and permanent hires across five states, with compliance, credentialing, and payments built into the platform. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Tandem serves child care programs across Florida, Ohio, Illinois, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Learn more at join-tandem.com, or visit our ELC Polk partner page at join-tandem.com/partners/elc-polk.

About the Early Learning Coalition of Polk County

The Early Learning Coalition of Polk County is a non-profit agency focused on early education and care, and one of Florida's Early Learning Coalitions. Originally established in 1999 under Florida Statute 411.01 as the Polk County School Readiness Coalition, Inc., the Coalition serves as many as 9,000 children a month across programs funded by federal, state, and local dollars. Through its School Readiness and Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) programs, ELC Polk works with nearly 400 early learning providers to give children access to high-quality early education and to help families become self-sufficient. Guided by its mission to lead community efforts in supporting the success of children, the Coalition partners across Polk County so that every child is prepared for school and life success. Learn more by visiting elcpolk.org.