What is Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten?
Florida was one of the first states in the country to offer free prekindergarten for all 4-year-olds regardless of family income. Since the program began in 2005-06, more than 2.6 million children have benefited from the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program (VPK). Data collected by the Florida Department of Education shows that children who participate in VPK are much more ready for kindergarten than children who do not participate in VPK.
Parents can select from one of several program options available in different educational settings from private and public providers and specialized instructional services providers. Providers have flexibility to structure daily hours per week to meet the required number of instructional hours. For an overview of VPK, check out the VPK Fact Sheet in English or the VPK Fact Sheet in Spanish:
Who is Eligible for VPK?
To be eligible for VPK, children must live in Florida and be 4 years old on or before September 1 of the current school year. If their fourth birthday falls February 2 through September 1 in a calendar year, parents can postpone enrolling their child in VPK that year and wait until the following year when their child is 5.
About Voluntary Prekindergarten
VPK gives each child an opportunity to perform better in school and throughout life with quality programs that include high literacy standards, accountability, appropriate curricula, substantial instruction periods, lower class sizes and qualified instructors. All eligible children are entitled to participate in one of three VPK program options. The VPK mission is to ensure that all children are intellectually, socially, emotionally, and physically ready to enter school and ready to learn, fully recognizing the crucial role of parents as their child’s first teacher.
Why should I enroll my child in VPK?
- Studies have shown that children who participate in VPK are more “ready” to enter kindergarten than those who do not participate.
- Children who are kindergarten-ready have a 90 percent probability rate of reading on the correct level in third grade.
- Children who do well on their third-grade reading tests are 90 percent more likely to graduate high school with their peers.
- Early childhood development directly influences economic, health, and social outcomes.
- Develop work readiness “soft skills” and social skills, teamwork problem-solving, ability to negotiate.
- Are 50 percent less likely to need special education/remediation.
- Parents may choose one of three VPK program options using their VPK certificate:
- School-Year Program 540 hours of instruction that occurs throughout the traditional School Year
- Summer Program 300 instructional hours; children may participate in VPK the summer before the school year the child will attend kindergarten.
- VPK Specialized Instructional Services: Certified or licensed professionals provide instruction or therapy in individual or small group settings for eligible children with special needs. The child must have a current individualized educational plan (IEP) from a local school district.
What your child needs to know to be ready for kindergarten
Make the most of the time before Kindergarten by using the Florida Early Learning Standards: 4 Years Old to Kindergarten (FELDS). Standards and benchmarks reflect the knowledge and skills that a child on a developmental progression should know and be able to do at the end of an age-related timeframe. The FELDS address eight early learning and developmental domains reflecting a child’s expected age-appropriate progress— physical development, approaches to learning, social and emotional development, language and literacy, mathematical thinking, scientific inquiry, social studies and creative expression through the arts.
For more information visit the Florida Early Learning Standards: Division of Early Learning – Early Learning and Developmental Standards.