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Application Guidelines

Application Guidelines

The Voluntary Prekindergarten Program has three program options:

  • School Year VPK 540 Hours
  • Summer VPK 300 Hours
  • VPK Specialized Instructional Services

Parents can choose one of the three VPK program types. The school year and summer VPK program types deliver classroom instruction and are available to all eligible students. VPK SIS provides instruction or therapy in individual or small group settings for eligible children with special needs. The child must have a current individualized educational plan (IEP) from a local school district.

Most Title I schools also offer an additional three hours of Title I funded instruction in the afternoon.

VPK is voluntary and funded by the State of Florida. It is not offered at every public school. A list of schools offering VPK can be found at www.earlychildhood.ocps.net.

Age Requirement

State law requires that children must be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1, of the current school year. Parents must complete an online application through the Office of Early Learning's Family Portal: https://familyservices.floridaearlylearning.com.

Enrollment Information

Parents are required to enroll at their local public school. Proof of residency and birth are required. Priority is given to students who reside in a school's attendance zone. Please visit the "Student Enrollment" website at www.ocps.net for more information about registering your child and school attendance zones. Parents that are seeking to transfer must complete the request online at the Early Learning Family Portal: https://familyservices.floridaearlylearning.com

Wait List

If a classroom reaches the max capacity of 20 students during the school year program and 12 students during the summer program, then parents have the option of being placed on a wait list. Students from this list will be added to the class throughout the school year as openings arise.

Exceptional Education

All eligible 4-year-old children, including those with disabilities, are entitled to participate in either school year or a summer VPK program. VPK programs are operated by early learning coalitions, and are not considered part of the state’s elementary and secondary program. The VPK program itself is not a special education program and therefore does not provide for specially designed instruction and related services. However, a child's IEP team may determine that a VPK classroom is an appropriate setting for the child's IEP to be implemented, or that the child requires extended school year to be provided in a summer VPK classroom.

504 Plans

VPK programs are required to adhere to a 504 Plan as described by Florida Office of Early Learning. A 504 Plan can help students with learning issues, attention issues and other disabilities who meet certain criteria to access the general education classroom without any barriers. For additional information, please visit https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/504-plans.html.