The Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program – or VPK – is a free prekindergarten program for 4 and 5-year-olds who reside in Florida. Participating children must be 4 year of age on or before September 1. Parents can enroll their child in the state’s free, voluntary prekindergarten (VPK) education program that year or wait until the following year when their child is 5.

Benefits of the VPK Program

• The most important growth and development in the brain happens by the age of five.

• The early years are the learning years. A child’s ability to be attentive and to follow directions emerges in the early years. Structured early learning fosters these abilities for later success in school and in life.

• Pre-K prepares children to be ready for school. Children who participate in high-quality early childhood education programs develop better language skills, score higher in school-readiness tests and have better social skills and fewer behavioral problems once they enter school. They are also better prepared for Kindergarten, especially in the areas of pre-reading, pre-math and social skills.

• Pre-K promotes a love of learning in children. Pre-K enhances what a child learns at home and instills a love of life-long learning.

• FREE for all children who live in Florida

• No registration fee

• Parents may choose a participating private child care or public school provider

• Early language and literacy focus