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Registration for voluntary pre-kindergarten is under way.
Parents can register their qualifying child for VPK for both the summer and fall through the Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida, at www.elcofswfl.org, or https://familyservices.floridaearlylearning.com/Account/LogOnFamily.
The VPK application is completely online, making it incredibly convenient for households to do it from their homes, Early Learning Coalition of SWFL CEO Susan Block said.
To complete the application parents must create a username and password and submit updated proof of child date of birth (official birth certificate, passport, current immunization record) and proof of Florida residency (current photo ID, utility bill, or paystub dated within the last 12 months, current lease.)
Individuals can also visit the Early Learning Coalition office for assistance at 2675 Winkler Ave., Suite 300 in Fort Myers. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office provides free kiosks and no appointments are needed.
Block said for children who have birthdays between Feb. 2, 2022 and Sept. 1, 2022 parents have the option of delaying enrollment until the following VPK academic year. Applications remain open through the year, but childcare providers often fill their VPK classrooms with pre-registration spots well before the start of the next academic year in Aug. 2022.
There are 185 contracted VPK providers for Lee County for 2021-2022, but for enrollment they only have 159 providers listed. Block said this maybe because of signed contracts, but lost enrollment, or instructors, or closed due to COVID.
An interactive map of the providers can be found under the parents tab at www.elcofswfl.org.
"Selecting a VPK provider is entirely up to the parent finding a location with an opening for their child," Block said. "Unlike student assignment for kindergarten and above, households have the right to select any childcare provider that currently holds VPK contract. However, many locations may offer priority to families that meet other criteria. For that reason, the sooner you can provide your childcare selection with the approved VPK certificate, the more likely you are to reserve a spot at your first choice."
Summer VPK registration
Registration is now open for the School District of Lee County's summer voluntary pre-kindergarten program.
Head Start Program Coordinator Tiffany Franklin said the summer VPK program is a more condensed version of school with 300 hours, compared to the school year of 540 hours.
"The district has been holding the summer VPK program since its inception," she said, as it is a requirement with funding.
There are two summer VPK locations being offered Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. June 7, through July 29.
Franklin said the summer program is offered during those dates because they use the staff and faculty who teach the same program during the school year.
"We can accommodate really as many kids as possible. We want a huge turnout. The more kids that come to us and we serve (the more we) are getting prepared for kindergarten,” she explained.
In a typical summer, Franklin said they serve approximately 60 VPK students.
"If we got more, we would open up more locations," she said.
During the school year, the district serves up to 850 VPK students, due to more locations and flexibility.
The summer locations include Sunshine Elementary School, 601 Sara Ave. N., Lehigh Acres and the Early Childhood Learning Center, 3650 Michigan Ave., Fort Myers.
The classes are taught by certified teachers who focus on school readiness and social and emotional well-being.
Franklin said they use the program called Frog Street, which is a developmental program that works on all areas of children development, letters, numbers, social and emotional skills and fine motor skills.
"When they go to kindergarten they are truly ready for all the things they will be learning and being introduced to," she said.
The classes are open to students who are 5 years old by Sept. 1 and have not already accessed a VPK program prior.
Franklin said although they will take applications all the way through the start of the program, the sooner the better to register.
"The earlier we get them, we are able to plan for the number of teachers we might need and supplies to ensure we are ready to serve every child that comes to us," she said.