Florida daycare: In 2005, voters in the state of Florida approved an important amendment, one that provided free access to voluntary pre-kindergarten (VPF) education for all of the state’s 4- and 5-year-olds.
The measure allowed the parents of every pre-school aged child to enroll their sons and daughters into either public or private schools or Florida daycare centers where they would learn valuable skills including how to identify shapes and colors, write their own names, and recognize patterns and letters.
The purpose of providing free VPK for every pre-school aged child in Florida was to give them the foundation for a lifetime of learning, regardless of their economic or social background.
Florida Daycare: Lake Nona – Preparing Children for the Future
For more than a decade now, Florida’s youngest residents have been preparing for future educational opportunities thanks to the state’s VPK program.
Parents can enroll their child in a school year program that totals 540 hours — which equates to three hours per day for every day of the school year — at zero cost to the family. Some parents opt to pay for additional wrap-around hours, although that is not included in the VPK program.
Another option is parents can send their children to a summer program, which totals 300 hours of pre-school education.
Florida daycare: VPK Success Rate
So after more than a decade, has Florida’s VPK program paid off? The results speak for themselves.
According to the National Institute for Early Education Research, Florida ranked No. 1 in the US for serving 4-year-olds, with 79% of the eligible children participating in the program. Additionally, assessments done by public school districts once students enter kindergarten show that nearly 82% of children who completed VPK were ready for kindergarten, compared to only 53% who did not participate.
