What is VPK?

The Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) program is FREE to all families in Florida and does not have any income requirements or restrictions.

VPK prepares four year-old children for kindergarten through quality programs that include high literacy standards, accountability, appropriate curricula, substantial instructional periods, manageable class sizes and quality instructors. VPK providers are certified through the Early Learning Coalition of Polk County Florida.

If you live in Florida, and your child turns 4 four years of age by September 1, your child is eligible to participate in Florida's FREE Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) education program.

VPK legislation was signed into law by Governor Jeb Bush on January 2, 2005. This law created a program to prepare every Florida four-year-old for Kindergarten and to build a strong foundation for their continued educational success.

The VPK program will better prepare Florida’s young children for a successful Kindergarten experience by focusing the Department of Education’s efforts on early literacy. This legislation assigns responsibilities for the day-to-day management of the program to the Office of Early Learning (OEL); licensing and credentialing to the Department of Children and Families (DCF); and the creation of standards, curriculum, and accountability to the Department of Education (DOE). All three agencies are working together to provide leadership and support to the local early learning coalitions, school districts, and public and private providers to ensure the successful implementation of effective prekindergarten education programs for Florida’s four-year-old children.

 2012 Summer VPK
2012/2013 School-Year VPK
2013 Summer VPK
ELIGIBILITY

A child is eligible for VPK for the 2012-2013 school year or summer program if the child is four years old on or before September 1, 2012.

If your child was BORN September 2, 2006 - September 1, 2007, they are eligible for the 2012 Summer VPK Program if they did not participate in the 2011-2012 VPK School-Year Program.

If your child was BORN September 2, 2007 - September 1, 2008, they are eligible for the 2012-2013 School Year Program.

If your child was BORN September 2, 2007 - September 1, 2008, they are eligible for the 2013 Summer VPK Program if they did not participate in the 2012-2013 VPK School-Year Program.

Children may participate in the VPK program one (1) time before they are eligible to enter kindergarten.

Once a child is eligible to enter kindergarten, they are no longer eligible to participate in VPK.

If you aren't sure our child's eligibility or if you have more questions about VPK, please give us a call at Beacon Hill (863)682-7910 in Lakeland, or at HighPointe (863)324-8566 in Winter Haven.

Highlights of the VPK Program

•VPK is FREE for all children who live in Florida and who turn 4 years of age by September 1
•No registration fee
•Parents may choose a participating private child care or public school provider
•Early language and literacy focus

VPK Curriculum
•Focuses on reading, writing and social skills
•Prepares children to be ready for Kindergarten

VPK Program Options
•Option 1: school-year VPK - 540 instructional hours. School-year VPK
•Option 2: summer VPK – 300 instructional hours. Summer VPK

VPK Providers
•Parents have the option of choosing the provider that meets their own family’s needs
•Options include: private and faith-based child care centers, private and public schools and licensed family child care homes
•All VPK providers must meet high standards required by law

VPK Instructors
•Ratios are 1 instructor to 10 children
•Class size will not exceed 18 children in the school-year program, and will not exceed 10 children for the summer program
•All VPK instructors must have a minimum of a child development associate for the school-year program, or a bachelor’s degree in early childhood or related fields for the summer program.

Transportation
•Parents are responsible for their child’s transportation

VPK Instructor Requirements:

All of our School-Year VPK Lead Teachers have:

•One (1) of the following credentials:
•(CDA) Child Development Associate  or (FCCPC) Florida Child Care Professional Certificate earned within the last five (5) years; or
•An Associate’s Degree or higher in Child Development; or
•An Associate’s Degree or higher in an unrelated field, with at least 6 credit hours in early childhood education or child development, and at least 480 hours of experience in teaching or providing childcare services for children any age from birth to 8 years of age; or
•A Bachelor’s Degree or higher in early childhood education, prekindergarten or primary education, preschool education, or family and consumer science; or
•A Bachelor’s Degree in elementary education, if the pre-k instructor has been certified to teach children any age from birth through 6th grade, with a Florida Educator’s Certificate, regardless whether the certificate is current or not, and has not had this educator certificate suspended or revoked. (Please note that a teaching degree from another country must be evaluated and translated by an accredited organization and submitted to DCF for approval.)
•Copy of a five (or more) hour Early Literacy training certificate. If Literacy training was completed after October 1, 2005, it must be the VPK Emergent Literacy course.
•Copy of Local Law Enforcement Criminal Background screening completed upon being hired and every 5 years thereafter.
•Copy of Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Criminal Background screening completed and current within the past 5 years.
•Copy of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal Background check completed and current within the last 5 years.
•Copy of Affidavit of Good Moral Character
•Certified in Adult and Child CPR and Basic First Aid
•Copy of Certifications in 50 hours of Part I and Part II of the Florida and DCF require Introduction in Child Care courses.

All of our VPK aide/assistants have:
•Copy of Local Law Enforcement Criminal Background screening completed upon being hired and every 5 years thereafter.
•Copy of Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Criminal Background screening completed in the past 5 years.
•Copy of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal Background check completed within the last 5 years.
•Copy of Affidavit of Good Moral Character
•Certified in Adult and Child CPR and Basic First Aid
•Copy of Certifications in 50 hours of Part I and Part II of the Florida and DCF require Introduction in Child Care courses.

 SUMMER VPK PROGRAM INFORMATION

Any child that lives in Florida and turned 4-years-old by September 1 is eligible for the summer VPK Program as long as they did not previously participate in the school-year VPK program. Full-Day summer schedules range anywhere from 5 to 7 hours.

Our Summer VPK program consists of 300 instructional hours and is recognized as our Summer 'FULL-DAY' VPK Program. Children are eligible to participate in the Summer VPK Program if they meet all of the following criteria:
•Child must be 4 years of age on or before September 1st and,
•have not previously participated in the VPK program and,
•will be entering kindergarten in the upcoming school-year

All of our Summer VPK Lead Teachers have:

• One (1) of the following credentials:
•A Bachelor’s Degree or higher in early childhood education, prekindergarten or primary education, preschool education, or family and consumer science; or
•A Bachelor’s Degree in elementary education, if the pre-k instructor has been certified to teach children any age from birth through 6th grade, with a Florida Educator’s Certificate, regardless whether the certificate is current or not, and has not had this educator certificate suspended or revoked.
•A valid (current) Florida Educator Certificate (Please note that a teaching degree from another country must be evaluated and translated by an accredited organization and submitted to DCF for approval.
•Copy of Local Law Enforcement Criminal Background screening completed upon being hired and every 5 years thereafter.
•Copy of Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Criminal Background screening completed and current within in the past 5 years.
•Copy of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal Background check completed and current within the last 5 years.
•Copy of Affidavit of Good Moral Character