PreK/four year old program (Jacksonville, Sawgrass: 2009, daycare, preschool)

[Biggiechri]

Can someone please tell me how PreK works in Florida? I know you can pay for private programs, but how does the state funded program work? I am looking specifically for the Ponte Vedra area if anyone has any specific information. THANKS.

[SlickP]

Voluntary Pre-K

Your best bet is to visit the facilities yourself. Like any daycare/school, some you will like others you won't want your kids there. Someone from Ponte Vedra might be able to give you specfic experiences.

[dhaubner]

You need to call Child Care Resource and Referral. It is a State funded program with the mission to help all parents find quality child care and preschool programs. Episcopal Children's Services runs the programs in Northeast Florida. The local number is 726-1500 an I think the 800 is 800-238-4836.

[Biggiechri]

Thanks for the info. I did contact them but it seems a bit vague, like you fill out the info and they let you know the site. I was hoping to get an idea of what sites have it first. It appears to be only 3 hours a day as well. thanks..............

[PinoyDoc]

Originally Posted by Biggiechri

Can someone please tell me how PreK works in Florida? I know you can pay for private programs, but how does the state funded program work? I am looking specifically for the Ponte Vedra area if anyone has any specific information. THANKS.

I sent my girl through Pre-K at a Catholic pre-school in Duval County using the VPK certificate. My impression has been that the VPK program was State-funded whether you send your child to private pre-K program or a county-run school.

I don't know if you've visted this site:
Early Learning Coalition of Duval

You will find links to providers that accept the VPK certificate (which is essentially a tuition voucher).

I agree with the suggestion of at least one poster: first check out the places you are looking into, then find out if they accept the VPK voucher/certificate.

[tulipseason]

Hello,

I will be signing my son up for a VPK program in PVB also. My sister-in-law already lives there (actually in Nocatee) so she has helped explain the system to me. It is just 3 or 4 hours a day. Most of the private preschools in PVB do not offer a VPK program. I will probably be using Childtime. It is across the street from the local elementary school (PVPV-Rawlings) where my eldest will be going, and my SIL was happy with the teacher there. The Kindercare Center in Sawgrass Village also offers a VPK program. I did find one private program offered by Little Stars--a preschool run by a Catholic Church in PVB. A mother I met on another board raved about the program, but it is really not free. They have something called a "wrap-around" fee that is $200+ per month if you are not a supporting member of the church. If you know for sure that you are moving to PVB you may want to join a group like JacksonvilleMommies which has a forum where you can post questions like this one. You will probably get more of a response.

Good Luck.

[littlestarsparent]

On January 16, 2009 Little Stars Preschool was found by the VPK inspecting group to be "out of compliance" If they do not become complaint within 30 days the state will no longer let them run a VPK program. The school contracted to run a state-funded free VPK program. They did not offer a free VPK program and the director's response, despite signing each form for the roughly 80 VPK students was "I didn't know I was supposed to offer it." State funds, program not offered...what will the state do to retrieve their money? Clear cut case of fraud. verify through ECS at 904-726-1500, they are level one of the monitoring and did the audit

[sarah101]

Great school!! Check out the VPK website for ratings ecs4kids.org. The graduates scored in the 96 percentile in kindergarten readiness. They offer both free VPK classes and extended day in a Catholic preschool setting. Check it out!

[rithmetix]

Originally Posted by littlestarsparent

State funds, program not offered...what will the state do to retrieve their money? Clear cut case of fraud. verify through ECS at 904-726-1500, they are level one of the monitoring and did the audit

I concur. Check with ECS and multiple Little Stars parents and you'll find that the above is all BS by one parent on a lonely, frustrated, misplaced rampage. There is no fraud. It's not like the Principal ran away to Cancun flush with money.

The VPK program is offered, but with lots of great educational extras. Kids from Little Stars consistently rank highest in the area for preparedness because of that. The proof is there. They do well with your kids.

They tell you there is an additional fee for all this, though. You have a choice, you can always walk away.

Instead, littlestarsparent chose to ruin everyone's opportunity.

Little Stars uses VPK funds to cut a break for parents, yet provide a superior education. All those resources aren't free! All that music, art, languages, fun parties for kids, etc. So much better than what most other VPK "schools" offer. Cheap and free can be found anywhere; I want the Lexus of schooling for my kids.

Great school. Awesome staff. Would totally do it again in a heartbeat.

BTW, if littlestarsparent is who I think she is, she's been a pest at more than this just this school. She's apparently been a sore point at PVPV, and with the local parish, etc. If you have a problem with every group you encounter, you have to ask yourself what you are doing wrong, not what everyone else is...

[crash330]

Originally Posted by Biggiechri

Can someone please tell me how PreK works in Florida? I know you can pay for private programs, but how does the state funded program work? I am looking specifically for the Ponte Vedra area if anyone has any specific information. THANKS.

The KinderCare in Ponte Vedra Beach at Sawgrass is currently enrolling for fall VPK. I'm not sure what the requirements are, but I'm sure if you call them, they'll be able to fill you in.