what is vpk wrap?

Florida VPK, or Voluntary Prekindergarten, is a free educational program that gives children a jumpstart for school by preparing them for kindergarten. VPK is for all 4-year-olds living in Florida. It helps them develop the skills they need to become good readers and successful students.

Research shows that children who participate in high-quality prekindergarten programs are:

While enrolled in VPK, parents can expect their children to learn pre-reading and writing skills, language and phonological awareness, and social-emotional skills, such as sharing, as well as the ability to be attentive and follow directions.

To be eligible, the child must reside in Florida and be four years old on or before September 1, 2022.

Applying for the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program is easy! You can apply online from a computer, mobile phone, or other digital device. Along with a valid email address, the following documents are required to prove a child’s age and residency:

Parents can choose a VPK provider that meets their needs. There are many kinds of providers who offer VPK: preschools, faith-based providers, family home child care centers, or elementary schools that specifically offer VPK.

Parents have the option of enrolling their child in a program that starts in August and ends in May, with 540 instructional hours (often three hours per day for the school year). Or, they can choose a summer program with 300 instructional hours with longer days.

Many VPK sites or schools offer a “wrap-around” program for parents who need care for their child beyond the initial 3-hour period. That means your child could go before school and stay for afterschool. Even if you need to leave your child in child care all day, VPK means you are not paying for those initial three hours.

Just visit here or call the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County at 561-514-3300. Lines are open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday! The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County will review your application and email you with further instructions. Once your applications is approved, the coalition will provide you with a Certificate of Eligibility, which you can then take to any VPK provider to sign up!

Families have several options to continue their child’s learning, growth and development during the summer. Families can apply for the Summer VPK program or a VPK Reenrollment online through the Office of Early Learning’s Family Portal. Families may also contact their local Early Learning Coalition for assistance with completing the application and for information on additional summer options.

Children who complete less than 70% (378 hours) of the 2021-2022 school year VPK program, can reenroll into a 2022 summer VPK program due to an extreme hardship.

200-300 instructional hours (public schools and private providers)

School districts offer Summer VPK programs at approved schools. Children who have not previously attended a VPK program OR who meet the reenrollment criteria listed under above may be eligible to participate.

VPK SIS is an option for children with disabilities who have a current Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Certified or licensed professionals provide instruction or therapy in individual or small group settings outside of a traditional classroom setting.

For more information, please visit HERE.

Children whose birthday falls between Feb. 2 and Sept. 1 of the program year and who complete less than 70% (378 hours) of the 2021-2022 school year VPK program, can reenroll into the next program year (2022-2023) due to extreme hardship and utilize their remaining instructional hours or funding that was unused from previous program year.

VPK Wrap -The VPK FULL Wrap program is designed for working families that need to drop off their child before VPK hours begin &/or need to have their child stay after VPK hours end. All snacks and lunch are provided.