HP Wins $20 Million Services Contract with Florida

Hewlett-Packard Co.’s Enterprise Services unit said that it has won a $20 million contract from Florida’s Agency for Workforce Innovation to upgrade its IT systems for early learning used by some 300,000 families and children statewide.

Under terms of the award, HP will develop, design, implement and maintain Florida’s Early Learning Information System (ELIS), an IT system that manages learning programs accessed by families and children in pre-kindergarten and school readiness programs.

In particular, the vendor is tasked with constructing and deploying a centralized child care management system, requiring it to develop applications and modernize services for tracking attendance, processing provider payments, case management, eligibility and reporting.

“We look forward to assisting Florida with development of ELIS to enable the state to gain operational efficiencies while providing quality, inclusive early learning opportunities for children from birth through age five,” said Dennis Stolkey, HP Enterprise Services senior vice president, U.S. Public Sector.

When built, the new system will allow educators, parents, providers and state agencies to share data, the agency said. For example, new online self-service portals will improve customer service and enable parents and providers to access resources for child development, early education information and referrals.

The system also will help to ferret out fraud and overpayments and streamline administrative processes by serving as a single entry point for eligibility data. It also will help Florida’s caseworkers through automated, repeatable and predictable processes, the agency said.

“The creation of Florida’s Early Learning Information System will result in significant improvements to the way we are able to manage the state’s early learning programs,” said Brittany Birken, Florida Office of Early Learning director.

“This system will provide real-time information that will improve the accessibility, affordability and the quality of early learning services for Florida’s children and families,” she said.