In November of 2000, the Early Childhood Development Department of the Sarasota Family YMCA with support from Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice launched an initiative that would dramatically improve the quality of early childhood education available in the southern part of Sarasota County.  This initiative would later be gradually expanded into all of Sarasota County, touching the lives of thousands of children and early childhood professionals.

The Gold Seal Project (Project) would set 79 home-based and center-based early childhood programs on a path to increased quality and state-approved accreditation in only three and one-half years. Along with accrediting over 30 programs, the Project would increase the percentage of accredited early childhood programs in southern Sarasota County from less than 10% to over 40% between 2000 and 2004.

The following document, commissioned by Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, tells the story of the initiative's development and evolution.  It contains the insights of early childhood specialists, and funders. This document also reveals the factors to which those involved attribute the Project's successes, sets forth lessons learned along the way, and identifies future challenges along with potential keys to success.