Is my child eligible to participate in public school prekindergarten (Pre-K)?
To be eligible for a full-day Pre-K program, a child must be at least four years of age by September 1 of the current school year and meet at least one of the following criteria. The same criteria apply for three-year-old children to be eligible for half-day programs.
- Are unable to speak and comprehend the English language
- Are economically disadvantaged, which means a student eligible to participate in the national free or reduced-price lunch program (Find the current year’s income charts here.)
- Are experiencing homelessness
- Are the child of an active duty member of the armed forces of the United States
- Are the child of a member of the armed forces of the United States
- Are in, or have been in, the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services
- Are the child of an individual eligible for the Star of Texas Award as a peace officer, firefighter, or emergency medical first responder
For more information, see TEA Eligibility for Pre-kindergarten
What is a child care / Pre-K partnership?
A child care/Pre-K partnership is a collaboration between a public school Pre-K program and one or more quality-rated* child care programs to provide high-quality care and education to three- and four-year-old children. This is also called an “early learning partnership.”
*Texas Rising Star Three- and Four-Star child care programs are eligible for Pre-K partnerships. Visit this TEA web page for additional information.
What are the benefits of child care/Pre-K partnerships?
For families, partnerships can provide the following:
- Consistency between the school day and before/after care
- Better hours for working parents who need a full workday of care
- A child care curriculum aligned with the local school district for greater school-readiness
- The ability for students and families to remain at child care locations where they have existing relationships
- Greater continuity in education and care for children
- High-quality Pre-K programming and greater support for the transition to public school for kindergarten.
For more information about Pre-kindergarten Partnerships, please visit TWC’s Pre-kindergarten Partnership page