Regarding Pre-school

Question

My friend has a three year old that she would like to put in preschool. All the ones she has been to said the child must be of age 4. She also was looking for one that is free. We had no hard time finding free ones they just wont take him because he is 3. He needs alot more interaction with kids his age. Is there any type of programs i can look up that a 3 year old could go to for free that lets him interact with other children for 3 or 4 hours a couple times a week? I am talking regarding the south bay area of california. any advice would be great , thank you!

Answer 1

Depending on his birthdate, he may qualify for Early Head Start or Head Start. To find an Early Head Start Program: http://www.ehsnrc.org/programs/index.htm  To find a Head Start Program: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/hsb/hswe...  I'm assuming that is she wants a free program, she must have an income low enough to qualify for Head Start Programs.

Does home schooling appeal to her at all? The South Bay Homeschool Network http://sbhn.50megs.com/ might know of some preschool play groups.

Playgroups are a great chance for kids to interact with others and fun for parents too! Often Moms' Groups will have many playdate and activities planned for preschoolers. http://sanfrancisco.parentzone.com/paren...  or something like this:

South Bay Adventure Playgroup

A new playgroup for moms & dads who are outgoing and fun. We are a group of parents who wanted more from a playgroup than just going to the park everyday. We do a variety of activities, ranging from park trips, zoo trips, and adventure trips. We meet 3 times a week; Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and occasionally Friday. Kids of all ages are welcome http://playgroup67.tripod.com

Answer 2

Try looking up the local head start.  They are income based but they normally serve children 3 or 4 years old for about 4 hours a day.

Answer 3

it depends on when your child turns three.

i would try headstart in your community. you can also look for any community action programs to see if they offer any programs.

other ideas may be some kind of playgroup which you may be able to find online or in a local independent paper or maybe a church preschool(?). i hope these ideas help. good luck! :)

Answer 4

most programs that are free service 4 year olds that will be of school age the following year.  they are mostly 'at risk' kids in need of extra services.

i'd suggest trying the ymca.  they are not free but they do have scholarship programs available for preschool, daycare and fitness.