A Legacy of Early Learning: PBSC and Children’s Services Council Mark 25 Years of Partnership

For 25 years, the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County has fully funded the Institute of Excellence in Early Care and Education (IEECE) at Palm Beach State College, helping make higher education more attainable for thousands of early childhood educators. The institute provides support ranging from tuition and textbooks to professional development, advising and career coaching.

The partnership has created pathways for educators working with children from birth to age five to build their skills, advance their education and remain in the field. Today, the institute serves nearly 1,000 educators each year through credit and noncredit training, scholarships, advising, life coaching and incentives,

“Palm Beach County is pretty much the only county where educators can get their whole education paid completely,” said Monica Walley, PBSC’s early childhood education director.  “We pay for their associate degrees, their bachelor’s degrees, their master’s degrees — all the books, 100%.”

The Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, an organization that invests local tax dollars in programs that support children and families, funds the institute and its services. Its support allows eligible educators to pursue required training, earn credentials and continue their education at little to no cost.

The institute works alongside PBSC’s K-12 program, which provides state-required child care training. The K-12 program is funded separately through the Florida Department of Children and Families, according to Walley.  While the K-12 program focuses on licensing requirements, the institute offers additional support designed to help educators grow professionally and academically, whether they are PBSC students or Palm Beach County educators.

For Walley, the support is especially meaningful in an occupation where wages can create a barrier to continued education and long-term retention. The median annual wage for preschool teachers in the United States was $38,140 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Early childhood teachers don’t make a lot of money,” Walley said. “It’s a profession that is underpaid, and this is a way for them to know that we appreciate what they do.”

Students Carolina Caraballo and Andrea Villasmil are working toward associate degrees in early childhood education while drawing on professional-learning resources available through the IEECE–PBSC partnership. Both said the partnership has helped make continued education, classroom training and professional growth more accessible.

“This partnership has made it possible for me to continue growing as an educator and stay up to date in my field,” said Caraballo. “Without IEECE, gaining this level of professional knowledge would require much more time, money, and planning.”

Villasmil said the partnership has allowed her to continue working toward her degree while teaching and applying what she learns directly with her students.

“The IEECE–PBSC partnership has made it possible for me to continue my education, earn valuable credentials and work toward my degree in Early Childhood Education while continuing to teach,” Villasmil said. “Without the partnership and its financial support, pursuing college courses may not have been as accessible for me. It has allowed me to grow professionally and bring what I am learning directly into my classroom, benefiting both my students and me.”

Villasmil said the partnership has strengthened her teaching through coursework she can apply directly in the classroom.

“Completing the 10-hour Instructional Support course, HEO 0238, made a meaningful difference in my classroom,” she said. “It taught me to be more intentional with my questions, encourage deeper thinking and build on children’s responses.”

The institute also provides financial incentives tied to professional development, microcredentials and continued work in early childhood education.

“The incentives we give them are so they can feel like they’re being paid more for what they do,” Walley said.

Palm Beach State College offers an associate’s degree in early childhood education, and students who want to continue their studies can transfer seamlessly through partnerships with Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and Florida International University (FIU). Eligible participants can continue receiving financial support as they pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

The institute has expanded bilingual programming over the years to better serve the community. Walley said about 60% to 65% of the instructors at the institute are Hispanic and most are bilingual. The institute has expanded access to Spanish-language programming over time, evolving from one course in Spanish to about half of its courses offered in Spanish and half in English.  Children’s Services Council has also enabled the institute to offer an English for Speakers of Other Languages, or ESOL, pathway tailored to early childhood educators. The courses help participants apply English skills directly in their professional roles, including writing lesson plans, communicating with families and sharing information about a child’s day.

“We give them the skills they need to do things at work,” Walley said. “We’re helping them with that language barrier.”

As the institute marks its 25^th anniversary, the partnership’s impact can be measured not only in degrees and credentials earned but in the strength of Palm Beach County’s early childhood workforce.

“We are lucky to have an organization that cares for teachers, pays for their education, provides professional development and is constantly doing research to see what’s working and what’s not working,” Walley said.

Looking ahead, PBSC and the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County will continue building on the partnership’s legacy by helping early childhood educators access the education, credentials and support needed to develop sustainable careers.