What happend to free preschool?

Question

ok , so my son is going to be 3 in march and i am looking into preschool....isnt public school free any more? i live in lexington kentucky and i cant find a free or cheap preschool anywhere

Answer 1

Here is a link that explains the current status of public pre-k in Kentucky: http://www.preknow.org/resource/profiles...  

Many states now offer public pre-kindergarten such as New York, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Texas to name a few.  Most public pre-k programs are for children who are 4 years old.  Some states offer free public pre-k to all and others offer it only to those who qualify by low income.  Children with disabilities can be serviced at younger ages regardless of income levels.  

And contrary to popular opinion, no, pre-k is not a free babysitting service.

Answer 2

Pre school is not a necessity, where K - 12 is, pre school is more like day care and prepares your child for "Big Kid school" therefore it is not free, I have never heard of 'Free Pre-School"

Answer 3

Most preschools are not free. Most are privately owned businesses, church sponsored, or national chains. Headstart might be free and many high schools in our city offer preschool as a learning experience for their students. I don't know if they are free or offer a low tuition. In my state, New Mexico, Pre-k has been funded for certain lower income school districts. It is hoped that it will eventually be able to cover all schools. You might also want to check to see if there are scholarships available too.

Answer 4

Preschool is not a part of the Public School System. I don't think it ever was because it is not required.

Answer 5

I am a preschool teacher at a Head Start and yes it is free but you have to be low income. Head Start is a very good program and for the person who answered that preschool is just babysitting.........I DON'T THINK SO.........WE TEACH OUR KIDS ALOT.........SO THE ANSWER IS YES HEADSTART IS FREE  AND IT IS A WONDERFUL PROGRAM

Answer 6

I've never heard of "free" pre-school. Public schooling is free for grades Kindergarten - 12.  Pre-school is basically a babysitting service.

Answer 7

Most states do not have "free" preschool- unless you qualify for a government program like Head Start or Early Start.  For Head Start state preschool, you must meet certain income requirements or your child must meet eligibility requirements such as having a disability.  Early Start is a program for children with special needs.  Other than that, preschool is not mandatory, so it does not need to be offered free of charge.  Some private preschools may have "scholarship" programs where they will offer reduced rate or free childcare tuition for families that meet income requirements, but often these centers are federally funded or receive grants from operations like First 5.  Public school systems take over free childcare for children with disabilities age 3 and up, but other public school "free" schooling does not typically start until the child attends kindergarten or first grade.  Contact the school district office in your area to find Head Start programs near you, if you believe that you qualify.

Good preschools, with qualified staff, are not glorified "babysitters"... so if you're looking for quality care, look into federally funded programs that must meet higher standards.

Answer 8

Public school has always been free, however public school in most states consists of grades Pre-K and up. I have never heard of a free preschool. There are low cost preschools that are available to low income families, at places like Head Start Centers and that sort of thing. There are also many family day cares that teach preschool curriculum out of their home day cares that are less expensive than traditional preschools. Preschool is such a crucial development stage for children, it's a shame that they don't make it mandatory and count it as public school. For now, preschool is nothing more than baby sitting with curriculum, and parents have to pick up the tab for the cost.

Answer 9

There is free prechool for those who qualify.  This would be Head Start or young 4's, etc.  Those who do not qualify have to pay if they want preschool.  Normally public school starts with Kindergarten (depends where you live for age requirements, in MI is is 5 before Dec 1)  Preschool, (or kindergarten for that matter) is not required, therefore not funded by the state like K-12 is.  If you have a low income or a child with certain special needs then you qualify for Head Start, which is free and provides transportation and meals.

edit:  the answerer before me states he is a Head Start teacher, yet says never heard of free preschool??  I also work for Head Start and it is a free program that you have to qualify for by income or risk factors.

Answer 10

Some high schools tech centers have free or very inexpensive preschools. You can also look into Head Start.

Answer 11

I.m not sure about your location but in most cities there is free preschool. It's usually called Head start and the children attend for 4 hours a day with no fee or a very small fee. It object of this preschool is to get the children ready for kindergarten and also help with social and interacting within the classroom. This is a very good program because hey prepare child for the next step in schooling. It also teaches the that it not such a bad thing to leave Mommy and they will be going home soon . The big plus is they are normally run by the state so they do have a learning agenda everyday to prepare for kindergarten. They do receive evaluation in the classroom so that if their are any special needs that you need to look at they direct you in the right direction .

Please believe this is one of the best programs your child can enter if not attending a full time daycare

Answer 12

http://www.kltprc.net/policynotes/pn0024...

This has the laws in your state on Free Preschool and the other posters are right. Most states if not all only allow your child to attend for Free if you are very low income or disabled.

Answer 13

Free preschool?  There are states that offer Universal Preschool which is free but not many.  You're most likely going to have to pay.

Answer 14

in state of florida, we have program such as Headstart and VPK- Voluntary Pre-kindergarten, contact the public school and they should be able to give u this information if available in your state

Answer 15

The only way you get "free preschool" in our state is  if your child has a developmental delay. Typicals have to pay. Have you checked into head Start though?  They are still in existence. I own a private preschool and charge monthly tuition for typicals - but I am also contracted with our state's job and family services. they will pay for the tuition and registration fee 100% if the parents qualify and the mother is working and/or attending school while the child is in school. good luck.

Answer 16

Greetings!  Many states have what are call state preschools on grammar school campuses.  Another option you could look into is Head Start.  If you qualify financially (meet the income guidelines), your child would attend for free.

Another possible option is attending a co-op preschool.  While tuitions exist, they are usually very low (certainly lower than regular preschool/daycare), and you will have an opportunity to play with your child and also attend ECE lectures which will enhance your ability for your child to learn after he or she leaves the program and goes to regular school.

I hope this helps.  Take care.

Answer 17

Some states have  free public pre school. Call your state dept of education and ask them if pre school is suppose to be free. I have heard of some schools charging for preschool when they were not suppose to.

Answer 18

First of all, NO schooling is free!  Even if you're not paying directly out of your pocket for it, the taxpayers are!  

The way schools determine who is eligible for "preschool" varies from state to state--and sometimes within the state.  In my area, only children who are considered "economically disadvantaged" or "at risk" are eligible for "Pre-K"...but I think that's only for 4 year olds.  There are programs--PPCD, or "Preschool Programs for Children with Disabilities"--for children who are learning impaired or delayed.  (They may be called something different in your area, if they even exist in your area.)  Generally speaking, the only way to get your child into a "free or cheap" preschool is if you are living at or below poverty level, if your child has a diagnosed learning disability, or if you're an illegal immigrant or from a Hispanic family that doesn't speak English.  That's the only way to do it here, because I tried to get my middle child into Pre-K, to no avail.