Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK)

To be eligible for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program or VPK Specialized Instructional Services (SIS) program, your child must reside in Florida and reach the age of 4 on or before September 1st of the program year or the following program year. Your child remains eligible until Kindergarten admittance, or unless they reach the age of 6 by February 1st of any program year.

Parents can choose from one of the following VPK programs:

• School-Year Program: Provides 540 instructional hours with class sizes of 20 or fewer students. Instructors must hold a Birth through Five Florida Child Care Professional Credential and meet standard background screening requirements.
• Summer Program: Provides 300 instructional hours, with class sizes of 12 or fewer students. Instructors must hold a bachelor’s degree and meet standard background screening requirements.
• VPK Specialized Instructional Services Program (SIS): For children with special needs and/or disabilities that have an established Individualized Education Plan (IEP); VPK funding is allocated for an IEP service(s) and hours will vary.

The VPK program is FREE for eligible children, regardless of family income. Providers are not permitted to charge a fee (registration, supplies, etc.) or require parents to agree to any additional services as a condition for enrolling their child into a VPK program. However, state law does not prohibit a provider from charging registration fees for care provided before/after the VPK program. Providers may also charge late fees for children not picked up in a timely manner at the end of the program. A provider may charge a fee for uniforms as part of the program’s policy. If a VPK provider asks for any type of fees as a condition for participating in the VPK program, please contact VPKOrange@elcoc.org.

Our trained Child Care Resource and Referral team is available to assist you, at no cost, to discuss other options that might be available. For information on CCR&R services, please call 407-841-6607, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. or by email at ccrrorange@elcoc.org.

VPK Registration opens January 1st of the program year. For example, you may apply for the 2024-2025 program year beginning on January 1st, 2024.

You will need your personal email address, access to the internet on device (cellphone, desktop, or laptop) to create a Family Portal account online and a document to upload that meets eligibility requirements. You may click HERE to review our VPK document checklist.

To apply, click HERE to go to Florida’s Early Learning Family Portal and apply for School Readiness as either a new or returning user. The Portal is compatible with Google Chrome or Internet Explorer browser; Apple Safari browser is not compatible.
Once you apply your VPK application is reviewed within three (3) business days. Instructions will be sent by email informing you that:

• Child’s Certificate of Eligibility may be printed to take to the approved VPK provider of your choice. Once the VPK provider has your certificate, the VPK provider enters your enrollment into the Portal.
• Child’s Application is rejected. You will need to upload more documentation or correct information to resubmit.

Proof of Residence:
Documents for VPK Application
Parents must provide one of the documents below to prove their child lives in Florida during the time the child will be attending VPK. A child living in Florida is eligible for VPK with proper documentation.
(Address listed on child’s application and supporting document must match)

•  Utility bill (electric, gas, water), cable, or home phone bill dated within 12 months of the date the child application is submitted;
• Pay stub dated within 12 months of the date the child application is submitted;
• Residential rental agreement or receipt from rental payment dated within 12 months of the date the child application is submitted;
• Government-issued document (for example, Florida driver’s license, Florida identification card, property tax assessment showing a homestead exemption);
• Military order showing that the child’s parent is a service member in the United States Armed Forces and is assigned to duty in Florida when the child attends the VPK program;
• Federal government order showing that the child’s parent is a federal employee assigned to work in Florida when the child attends the VPK program;
• A Florida Migrant Education Program Certificate of Eligibility (COE) Form from the Florida Department of Education;

Proof of Birth:
Parents must provide one of the documents below to prove their child is 4-years-old on or before Sept. 1 of the program year in which they are seeking enrollment.

• An original or certified copy of the child’s birth record filed according to law with the appropriate public officer;
• An original or certified copy of child’s certificate of baptism or other religious record of the child’s birth, accompanied by an affidavit sworn to by the child’s parent;
• An insurance policy on the child’s life that has been in force for at least two years, which reflects the child’s birth date;
• A passport or certificate of arrival in the United States showing the child’s date of birth;
• An immunization record indicating the child’s date of birth, signed by a public health officer
  or by a licensed practicing physician;
• A valid military dependent identification card or federal or state government card showing the child’s date of birth.

NOTE: If none of the above information is available, an affidavit of age sworn to by the parent, accompanied by a certificate of age reflecting the child’s birth, signed by a public health officer or by a licensed physician which states that the physician has examined the child and believes that the age as stated in the affidavit is substantially correct.

No, you may enroll for either the Fall or the Summer program, but not for both.

Yes, you may transfer your child to another VPK provider during the program year and only if your child has not used 70 percent of the available hours (378 hours fall or 210 hours summer). To receive a transfer Certificate of Eligibility:

• Orange County: All transfers are now available online as a re-enrollment request by visiting your child’s online application. You may contact VPKOrange@elcoc.org for more information on how to transfer.

• If you need a provider listing, please contact CCR&R services at 407-841-6607, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. or by email at ccrrorange@elcoc.org.

You must carefully read, understand and sign the provider’s policy regarding attendance. This policy may include but is not limited to clauses relating to absences, tardiness, daily sign-in/out, monthly verification, and/or hours of instruction.

Families have the opportunity to review and download the parent handbook and parent guide when they apply for VPK on the Family Portal. It is also available online HERE.

You can postpone your child’s enrollment into VPK by logging in to your Family Portal account HERE. For more information, please contact VPKOrange@elcoc.org.