Orange County Public Schools

The Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program or VPK is a state funded educational program designed to help build a strong educational foundation and readiness for Kindergarten.

Children who turn 4 years old on or before Sept. 1 of the program year are eligible to attend VPK. In addition, as of July 2016, parents with children born between Feb. 2 through Sept. 1 may postpone enrolling their child in VPK the year they turn 4 and wait until the following year when their child is 5, as long as the child has not yet been admitted to kindergarten.

No. By law, a child is no longer eligible for VPK once he or she enrolls in kindergarten.

No. VPK is only available if the child meets the requirements described in question two.

Florida law (Section 1003.21(1)(a)2, Florida Statutes) says a child must be 5 years old on or before September 1 to be eligible for admission to kindergarten in public schools.

Parents may apply for the VPK Eligibility Certificate by completing your child's VPK application in the Family Portal beginning Jan. 1 of the program year. For example, select the link to login to the Family Portal Account Logon for School Readiness and VPK to apply for the 2021-22 program year beginning on Jan 1, 2021.

To apply for the VPK program, select the link to login to the Family Portal Account Logon for School Readiness and VPK website to complete the application online.

The program is available at select schools with limited enrollment. Parents may apply for VPK at the school site their child is zoned to attend. Select link to find the zoned schools for your address.

VPK is not offered in every elementary school due to space limitations. If your zoned school does not offer VPK, you may select any school that does offer; your child will automatically be wait listed during open registration until space becomes available. All of our schools give priority and preference to their zoned students first.

Space is limited and provided on a first come, first serve basis. Each class may have no more than 20 children enrolled. Home zoned children are placed first. Out-of-zone children will be placed if space is available. Parents may choose to place their child on the waiting list at the school or parents can choose a private VPK provider.

VPK Providers can be found on the Department of Children and Families CARES website. Select link to do a VPK Provider Search.

In order for a child to attend a full-day VPK program, they must reside in a Title I school attendance zone. Title I schools receive services from federal aid to level the academic playing field for children victimized by poverty. Title I funds supplement the state seat time for students by funding the afternoon program allowing students to have a full day program. The state funds half day programs in all other schools who opt to participate based on student/parent need and space availability on the school campus. Half day programs consist of three hours in the AM only or may offer an AM/PM program.

Yes. A child may only re-enroll in VPK if they have not completed more than 70 percent of the instructional hours:

• 378 hours for school-year
• 210 hours for summer
• More than 70 percent of the funding authorized for a child enrolled in VPK SIS

No. A child may only attend VPK once, either during the school year or during the summer session.

The rule allows families to submit documents showing that the child is homeless and resides in Florida such as a homeless referral or Student Residency Questionnaire from the local district (OCPS Student Residency Questionnaires can be found at this link), a letter from a homeless shelter or a notarized statement from the child's parent.

No. Florida law specifies that each parent is responsible for the transportation of his or her child to and from the VPK program.

There are two documents a provider may accept - the Child Certificate of Eligibility (Form OEL-VPK 02) or the Certificate of Eligibility for Reenrollment (Form OEL-VPK 04). Select the link for additional Registration Requirements to register a child to attend Orange County Public Schools.

Some schools offer VPK students before/after school care. It is best to contact the school directly to inquire if this service is available for VPK students.

Yes. Parents are encouraged to bring their child to school on a daily basis, as they are more likely to succeed in kindergarten when they attend VPK consistently.