Voluntary Prekindergarten Program

The Voluntary Prekindergarten Program (VPK) is a free program for all 4 and 5 year-olds who reside in
Florida and are 4 years old on or before September 1 of each year. 

Why is VPK important?

VPK is designed to prepare 4-year-olds for kindergarten, to help build the foundation for their educational success. Our program provides a play-based learning experience that supports the development of early literacy, executive functioning, and social emotional skills.  According to the Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener, children who participate in VPK are better prepared for success in school. 

What are parents’ options?

Parents have the option to enroll in a school-year program that consists of three or more hours a day
instruction, or a summer program that is a full day. We also offer Specialized Instructional Services,
which takes place outside a traditional classroom setting to assist 4-year-olds with special needs.

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Free for all 4-year-old in Florida

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No registration fees

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Parents choose where their child learns

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Focused on reading, writing and social skills

School Year Program

Length: 540 instructional hours, average 3-6 hours per day. Before and after care is available with most VPK providers

Settings: Private Child Care Providers

Class Size: 4-20 children

Instructors: Must have a minimum of a Child Development Associate (CDA) or higher. A second adult is required for classes of 12 or more children

Summer Program

Length: 300 instructional hours, average 6-8 hours per day. Before and after care is available with most VPK providers

Settings: Private Child Care Providers, Public Schools and Head Start

Class Size: 4-12 children

Instructors: Certified Teacher or Bachelor’s or higher degree in an early learning field

FULL DAY Program

Provides VPK-eligible children–ages 4 to 5–access to full-day, full-year scholarships (includes school year AND summer care)

Assists non-working or low-income families who may not meet income or job requirements for SR scholarships

Provided by select high quality early learning centers throughout Pinellas County. Click Here for a list of providers

Families MUST enroll in VPK before qualifying for PreK All Day. Click Here for more details

For Families

2019-2020 VPK Registration is OPEN

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Register for VPK

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2019 2020 VPK Providers

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Downloads

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VIDEO- VPK Application

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VIDEO- Family Portal Login

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VPK Application Guide

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VPK Application Guide – Spanish

We are now offering FULL DAY CARE for VPK students, to cover the cost of before and after school care! Once enrolled in the VPK program, visit elcpinellas.org/PKAD to learn more about our PreK All Day program and apply

For Providers

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Latest forms and documents for Providers

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Sign up for VPK enews updates

FAQ’s

For Families

Eligibility and Application Process

Normal processing can take up to 10 business days to receive your VPK certificate.

The following are examples of appropriate reasons for dis-enrolling your child: medical reasons, job transfer, and changing home address.

No, participation is completely voluntary. Many parents choose to provide school readiness activities at home.

A child may only attend one state paid VPK session either during the school year or summer session.

Yes, the law only requires the child to be a Florida resident. Parents/Guardians must register their children for VPK in the county that they are planning to attend in.Example: if the child resides in Pinellas County but would like to attend VPK in Pasco County, the parent must register for VPK through the Early Learning Coalition of Pasco and Hernando Counties, Inc.

Enrollment is continuous but after a certain date in the school session enrollment may stop and then children will be considered for another session.

All VPK online applications will be processed in the order they were submitted. Please allow time for the ELC staff to review your application and process it in order for you receive your certificate.

  • If you have not received an email you should check your SPAM email as occasionally the VPK online emails are directed there.
  • You can also log back into your account to see the status of your application.
  • If then you are unable to locate any communication regarding your application you may call our VPK Online Specialists at 727-400-4411.

Parents or Legal guardians can register online at Florida VPK Family Portal.

  • Any child who is four-years-old on or before September 1st
  • The child who is a Florida resident.

VPK Schedule

Depending on the length of the vacation and the Providers’ attendance policy, the parent and child could lose their opportunity to participate in the VPK program. Parents must know this before they enroll their child and choose their VPK program accordingly.

Parents and guardians are strongly encouraged to carefully choose a program that best meets the needs of their child and family situation. A consistent and stable VPK experience will allow the best opportunity for the child to be successful in the program and future success in school. The Coalition can provide helpful information and tools to assist parents in making their decision. Parents and guardians may contact the CCR&R department to request information at 727-210-4211.

The Voluntary Pre K program is the result of an amendment to the Constitution of Florida. Although the future may hold changes, for now the program is currently available.

No, there is not state funded transportation provided for this program. You may wish to choose a program that has extended hours to better serve your family. Find a VPK Provider

No, a child may only attend one (1) session either the school year or the summer session.

There are school year (fall) sessions which typically begin in August or September and a summer session which typically begins in May or June of each year.

Most fall VPK Programs will begin in August of each year and summer programs will begin in May. Each provider is free to choose their own length of core instructional VPK day and the start and end dates of their program. Please refer to the individual Provider Profiles under the Provider Listing section of this web site for the exact start and end dates of each participating VPK provider.

Various private preschools, family child care homes and the public school system have certified Voluntary Prekindergarten programs. A listing of the certified VPK sites can be obtained on the Find a VPK Provider page of the Coalition’s website or by contacting the Child Care Resource and Referral at 727-210-4211. As new sites are certified, their names are added to the list. Parents may want to view the listing often as the site may change.

Finding a VPK Provider

A class may have no more than 20 children in the classroom during the VPK program school year session; 12 children during the summer session and no less than 4 children during the summer and the school session. Once the VPK part of day ends, the less restrictive licensing regulation for class size and staff ratios can be followed.

Yes, faith based providers may participate in offering Voluntary Prekindergarten as long as they meet the basic requirements of staff, curriculum, and other quality indicators and parents are fully informed in advance of enrollment.

There are two methods for a parent to choose a VPK program. First, the child care providers can and should market their programs to recruit parents.
Second, if a parent needs assistance they may contact the Coalition’s Child Care Resource and Referral at 727-210-4211. When a child care provider is approved to provide VPK services they will be asked to provide a profile of their program. This profile will include as examples: the hours/days that the VPK program will be offered, the credentials of the staff, whether they provide extended day services, and the curriculum the preschool offers. Parents will then be responsible for enrolling their child in one of the certified VPK programs that still has openings. Parents can find these VPK provider profiles by searching the Coalition’s Find a VPK Provider page of the website.

If the parent does not already have their child at a location offering a Voluntary Prekindergarten program, they may call Child Care Resource and Referral at 727-210-4211 and request a list of approved/certified VPK programs. In addition, parents can search for VPK providers on the Coalition’s website at Find a VPK Provider. Find a VPK Provider

Payment and Fees

Parents are responsible for paying for any additional hours of care they require beyond the VPK day. If eligible (income eligible), parents may apply for School Readiness Scholarship School Readiness Scholarship to assist in the cost of extended day care through the Early Learning Coalition at 727-400-4411.

Yes, qualified four-year-old children will still be eligible for scholarships from the Early Learning Coalition based on program requirements and availability of funding. Income eligible families who still need extended care for their children after the VPK day could access scholarships that will cover this part of their care.

You as a parent cannot be refused enrollment due to failure to pay registration or other fees for the core VPK day.

For Providers

Any new providers that wish to offer the VPK program during the program year should call Ana Pizarro at 727-400-4489 for further information and next steps.

Lovingly Funded By

 

2536 Countryside Blvd Suite 500, Clearwater, FL 33763

Hours of Operation: M-F, 8:00am – 5:00pm

Processes and Procedures


A. Placements

I. General: 

  1. Appointment Phone Script and Process
  2. BG1-11 Outreach and Enrollment Process
  3. Placement 30-30 Plan
  4. Browsing
  5. Keying Placements
  6. Sib-Adds
  7. Interview Flow
  8. Terms and Conditions in the Family Portal Account


II. Waitlist:


III. CCAA Process:


B. Enrollments


C.
Redeterminations

I. Processing Redeterminations: 


II. Rejections for Redeterminations:


III. Other/General Redetermination Information:


D. Reestablishment Periods/Reviews


E. Transfers


F. Suspended Enrollments


G. Coalition Transfers


H. Social Security


I. SR Plus-Local Funding

Annual Report

Annual Report