Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK)

The Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Program is a state-funded program designed to prepare four-year-olds for kindergarten and build the foundation for their educational success. The program allows a parent to enroll their eligible child (four years old by September 1 and residing in Florida) in a FREE VPK program of their choice. The program is voluntary for children and providers. In Broward County Public Schools, the free VPK program is combined with additional hours called, “Pre-K”. The combined VPK and Pre-K hours create a full school day program. At some schools, the full day is free and at others, the Pre-K portion of the day is tuition supported. 

A child must be 4 years of age on or before September 1 of the program year and reside in Florida to participate in the VPK program. 

A child must turn 4 years old on or before September 1st of the current year. 

For application information including how to apply for our BCPS VPK program, please visit the VPK application page. 

Apply for your child’s VPK Certificate of Eligibility online via the State of Florida - Family Portal website. 

Please visit the Early Learning Coalition (ELC) Website for helpful videos on how to apply for your child's VPK certificate from the of ELC of Broward County. If you have additional questions or concerns, please call the ELC of Broward at (954) 377-2188.

No, after obtaining your VPK certificate from the Family Portal website, please create an account with the BCPS - VPK/Pre-K Portal. Please visit Broward Schools VPK Application for more information on how to apply to VPK at Broward Schools.

Please visit Broward Schools VPK for information on the application process and timelines. 

You can check the status of your child's application by logging into your account on the BCPS - VPK/Pre-K Portal.

In order to make any updates to your submitted VPK/Pre-K application (including changing your school preference), please email VPK.

The VPK portion of the BCPS VPK/Pre-K program is FREE for eligible children, regardless of family income. Registration and tuition fees are not permitted for the free, 3-hour VPK portion of the day.  However, registration and tuition fees are required for the non-VPK (i.e. ‘Pre-K’) portion of the day.  

Yes! Some BCPS schools offer Pre-K programs for 3-year-olds. 

Selection for a Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK)/Pre-K program at a school does not guarantee placement for Kindergarten at the same school. If your child is selected or offered a seat in a BCPS - Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK)/Pre-K class that is not your boundary school, you must apply for and receive a reassignment in order for your child to attend Kindergarten at the same school. To learn about the reassignment process, please visit the School Choice website. 

Your child will remain on the wait list until a seat becomes available at your selected school. The timeline for waitlist applications is dependent upon other parents declining or withdrawing from the VPK/Pre-K program. You will be contacted if a space becomes available, and your child is selected. 

No, transportation services are not provided for VPK/Pre-K students.

Yes, food from home is permitted. The BCPS VPK/Pre-K Program adheres to the USDA nutritional guidelines and portion-size servings. We provide a FREE balanced, nutritious breakfast for your child.  Parents can apply for meal benefits, to see if they qualify for lunch at a reduced rate or for free.

Aftercare options vary by school location. Please reach out to the school directly to inquire about aftercare options that are available to students enrolled in VPK/Pre-K programs. 

The Early Childhood Education Department – VPK/Pre-K classrooms utilize Creative Curriculum, Heggerty Phonological Awareness, and Conscious Discipline to implement developmentally appropriate instructional strategies and ensure that students enrolled in VPK classrooms are fully prepared for entering Kindergarten. 

Parents/guardians do NOT need to apply for School Choice to apply to a BCPS - VPK/Pre-K school location. Parents/guardians should visit Broward Schools VPK application for more information on how to apply for BCPS-VPK/Pre-K. 

The Coordinated Screening and Progress Monitoring Program is the statewide, standardized program known as Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) Star Early Literacy. It is implemented in all VPK programs as required by s. 1002.68, F.S., and used to assess student achievement of the performance standards established in s. 1002.67(1)(a), F.S., in early literacy and mathematics. In addition to the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) Star Early Literacy (VPK students only), BCPS-VPK/Pre-K students are also administered classroom progress monitoring assessments for letter names, letter sounds, concepts of print, and phonological awareness. 

Yes! BCPS-VPK offers 2 programs over the summer. Summer VPK (for students who have an unused VPK certificate) and VPK Summer Bridge (for students who have already completed VPK). Check out our summer programs on the VPK Summer website.