Voluntary Pre-kindergarten

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

There is no charge to parents for the VPK instructional hours and the location the child attends is parental choice. The number of instructional hours and the specific times per day vary by provider.

VPK classes may begin at the start of the school year, in January and a condensed summer session, depending on location. In Marion County, school-year VPK classes are provided through licensed private and faith-based centers, licensed family child care homes, as well as several public elementary school sites. The summer classes are available predominately through public elementary school sites as well as several private child care sites. The Coalition contracts with Childhood Development Services, Inc. (CDS) for eligibility determination and registration. CDS will provide parents with a list of certified VPK providers to choose from and that list may also be found through a link on our homepage. For more information and a registration appointment, contact CDS at (352) 629-0055, ext. 200.