I think that an emphasis has been placed heavily on early learning programs and ensuring that they are accessible to ALL populations of students. Two states that I recently researched offered 6 free hours of pre-k for parents to have their children enrolled in prior to starting kindergarten. In Georgia, it is the Georgia Lottery Pre-k Program and in Florida it is VPK (Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten). These two programs offer free support at any daycare center in the state to properly prepare students for entry into Kindergarten. This will help the parents who can not afford traditional daycare expenses or who are on a waiting list for an already full Head Start Center.
http://www.floridaearlylearning.com/vpk.aspx - (Florida VPK)
http://decal.ga.gov/Prek/About.aspx - (Georgia Pre-K)
I think this emphasis on preparation for Kindergarten is extremely necessary and will increase in upcoming years. This support from the government gives parents that may not have the financial stability to send their children to traditional daycare centers, an opportunity to prepare their children for school.
Thanks for sharing your research with us Jasmine. I find the idea of a preschool "lottery" interesting. While I applaud their efforts to provide quality learning and care, I couldn't help but think about the little ones who did not win the "lottery". It makes me wonder how all that plays out. ~ Karlene
ReplyDeleteHello Jasmine
ReplyDeleteI live in the state of Georgia and Georgia’s Pre-K Program is free public preschool for all eligible 4-year-old children in Georgia. As of 2016, children who are 4-years old by the Sept. 1 cutoff date, are eligible to attend this state-lottery funded educational program. The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, also known as Bright From the Start, helps plan instruction in the Pre-K classrooms. Georgia preschool runs on the regular school system calendar and is a 6.5 hour instructional day. The Georgia Pre-K program is offered at participating local public schools or through private child care facilities. The best way to find a Georgia Pre-K school in your area is to search the Bright From the Start provider form.
Reference
Free Pre-K in Georgia (2016) retrieved from: https://georgia.gov/blog/2016-06-16/free-pre-k-georgia-how-does-it-work