Voluntary
Prekindergarten (VPK) is a free
program aimed to prepare
four-year-old children for kindergarten and build
the foundation for their educational success. VPK is
available to all four-year-olds born on or before
September 1 who reside in Florida, regardless of family
income.
There are two
VPK program options:
-
School Year Program
- 540 instructional hours.
Class sizes not to exceed 18 students; instructors
must have a minimum of a Child Development Associate
for the school year program (now referred to as the
Birth to Five Florida Child Care Professional
Credential).
-
Summer Program
- 300 instructional hours.
Class sizes not to exceed 10 students; instructors
must have a minimum of a Bachelor's degree.
The school
year VPK program begins each year in August and consists
of 540 instructional hours. The summer VPK program
starts in June and consists of 300 instructional hours.
Children who participate in the summer VPK program must
be eligible for kindergarten the school year immediately
following.
VPK programs
may be administered by public, private, and faith-based
providers who meet the State eligibility requirements.
VPK providers determine their own program hours and days
in order to meet the 540 or 300 hour requirement. For
example, if a program is 180 days, it would offer 3
hours of instruction each day to meet the 540-hour
requirement. A provider could also choose to offer a 6
hour-per-day program for 90 days.
Check with your
VPK provider of choice to determine which program best
suits your child’s needs.
Providers are not permitted to charge a registration
fee or require parents to agree to any additional
services. State law does not, however, prohibit a
provider from charging registration fees for
programs or care that are not part of the VPK
program hours. In
many cases, children can remain at the VPK site all
day but parents are responsible for paying for the
hours outside of the VPK program. Transportation is
not covered for VPK.
To register for VPK in Manatee County:
(For the 2010-2011 school year)
Visit the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County
(directions here) during
normal business hours after
February 16, 2010 to complete an
interview and receive a Certificate of Eligibility.
Documents needed to establish eligibility are:
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1. Proof of authority to register child for VPK:
* Note: The application
must be completed, in full, by a parent
or guardian with whom the child lives.
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2. Proof of child’s age:
(One of the following)
-
Birth Certificate - An original or certified copy,
photocopies are not accepted
-
Immunization Record - Indicating child’s date of birth
and signed by a public health officer or
licensed practicing physician (blue shot
record)
-
Certificate of Baptism - Original or certified copy showing
the date of birth and place of baptism
accompanied by an affidavit sworn to by the
parent
-
Insurance policy on the child’s life that has been in force
for at least two years which reflects the
child’s date of birth
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Passport or certificate of arrival in the US showing child’s
date of birth
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Valid military dependent ID card
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3. Proof of Residence:
(One of the following preferred)
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PO BOXES ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE
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Driver’s License
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Lease or Rental Agreement
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Monthly Bank Statement (within 60 days)
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Current Paystub
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Current Utility Bill (such as water or electric)
Cable or cell phone bill not accepted.
-
Letter from Project Heart Homeless Program for Manatee
County Schools, homeless shelter, or letter
from parent swearing that child is currently
homeless
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Selecting a VPK Provider
Parents of eligible children will receive a Certificate of
Eligibility from the Early Learning Coalition to take to
the VPK provider of their choice. Once a provider has
been selected and the child becomes enrolled in a
specific VPK class, the provider uses the certificate to
confirm registration back to the Early Learning
Coalition.
Providers who have
completed the approval process and are
eligible to offer VPK classes for the
current VPK school year appear on the
List of Approved VPK Providers.
Links to more information:
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