|
Voluntary Prekindergarten |
|
 |
|
The Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) legislation was signed into law by Governor Jeb Bush on January 2, 2005. This law created a program to prepare every four year-old in Florida for kindergarten and build a strong foundation for their continued educational success.
The VPK program provides each child the opportunity to perform better in school and throughout life with quality programs that include high literacy standards, accountability, appropriate curricula, substantial instruction periods, manageable class sizes and qualified instructors.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO BE A VPK PROVIDER?
Private providers must meet the following criteria in order
to be a VPK provider:
- Hold a Director Credential
- Be licensed by the State of Florida or exempt from licensure and meet one of the following:
- Hold a current Gold Seal Quality Care designation
- Be accredited by an approved accrediting association
INSTRUCTORS
All lead VPK instructors must have a minimum of a Child Development Associate for the school year program, or a Bachelor's degree for the summer program.
HIGHLIGHTS
- High quality educational program with an early literacy focus
- FREE for all children 4 years old on or before September
1, who reside in Florida
- No registration fee
- Both private and public providers may participate
VPK PROGRAM OPTIONS
- School Year Program - 540 instructional hours
Class sizes not to exceed 18 students
- Summer Program - 300 instructional hours
Class sizes not to exceed 10 students
CURRICULUM
- Must be developmentally appropriate
- Focus on early literacy skills
- Prepare the child to be ready for kindergarten based
on the VPK Standards
adopted by the State of Education
VPK PROVIDERS
For a complete listing of VPK providers in your county, click
here:
VPK Provider Profile (PDF file)
This document is in PDF format and requires Adobe Reader to
open. If you do not have Adobe Reader, you may click here
to download it for free.
HOW TO APPLY TO BE A VPK PROVIDER
If you have questions regarding the Voluntary Prekindergarten
program, please visit http://www.vpkflorida.org
or call our office at (850) 872-7550 or (800) 768-8316.
You may also download an application (Form 10 and Form 11)
from http://www.vpkflorida.org.
Completed applications should be returned to:
Early Education and Care, Inc.
450 Jenks Avenue
Panama City, FL 32401
or
Early Learning Coalition
of Northwest Florida
200 Forest Park Circle
Panama City, FL 32405
LINKS OF INTEREST
Department of Children and Families Licensing
AWI/Office of Early Learning
Florida's Voluntary Prekindergarten
Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida
[Top of Page]
|
