Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) is a free legislatively mandated program for all children who are four years old on or before September 1st, reside in Florida, and who are not participating in the Gardiner Scholarship Program.  Parents whose children are born from February 2nd through September 1st of a calendar year may choose to enroll their child in VPK either the school-year their child turns 4 or the next. VPK is designed to build a foundation for educational success by offering quality programs that include qualified instructors, age-appropriate curricula, high literacy standards and manageable class sizes. To participate in the program, children must turn four on or before September 1 (CLICK HERE to see if your child is eligible) and must be a Florida resident.










 

 
 
 




VPK Provider Information
To meet individual parental choice, VPK is offered through approved private licensed child care centers, licensed family child care homes, faith-based providers, and public and private schools. Providers set their own hours each day and days each week but must meet the following required instructional hours:
- School Year Program - 540 instructional hours. Class sizes not to exceed 20 students; instructors must have a minimum of a Child Development Associate for the school year program, now referred to as the Birth to Five Florida Child Care Professional Credential. Click here for details.
- Summer Program - 300 instructional hours. Class sizes not to exceed 12 students; instructors must have a minimum of a Bachelor's degree.
 
VPK Provider CLASS Scores
To increase the quality and accountability of early learning programs, the Florida Legislature passed bills requiring all contracted VPK providers to receive an annual Program Assessment using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). CLASS is an observational tool that measures the quality of interactions between teachers and children and assesses interactions in three main areas: emotional/behavioral support, classroom organization, and instructional support.

Trained and certified CLASS observers will assess the programs and assign a score at no cost to the provider. Qualifying providers may receive a payment differential based on their CLASS scores. Research shows higher CLASS scores lead to greater student behavior engagement, increased math achievement, and more robust vocabulary and reading outcomes.  Providers must score a minimum of a "4" on the assessment in order to administer the VPK program.

To learn more about the CLASS Assessment, click here: 
For Questions about VPK services call:
(850) 983-5313