Voluntary Prekindergarten

If your program meets the following, you may be eligible to offer Voluntary Prekindergarten:

  • Each private provider must be a licensed child care facility, a licensed family day care home (registered homes are not eligible), a licensed large family child care home, or a nonpublic school or faith-based child care provider that is exempt from licensure.


Each private provider must also:


The VPK program places no limit on the number of children served by each provider. It is each provider’s decision of how many children to serve.

The VPK program is FREE for eligible children, regardless of family income. 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. Florida law specifies that each parent is responsible for the transportation of his or her child to and from the VPK program. Some VPK providers may offer transportation services, and families are encouraged to explore these options before choosing a VPK provider. Florida law prohibits VPK providers from discriminating against children or their parents on the ground of race, color, or national origin, including the refusal to admit a child to the VPK program.

In order to be a VPK provider, you are required to enter into an agreement with the Early Learning Coalition as well as attend an orientation session. Please contact our Quality Department to learn more.

Approved Providers

Providers must complete the approval process to be eligible to offer VPK classes for each VPK school year.


80/20 Attendance Policy

Starting with the 2009-2010 VPK school year, attendance is now reimbursed using the "80/20 Rule". For more information on the 80/20 Rule, see these Frequently Asked Questions and examples.