Free VPK & Wrap-Around

Dr. Seuss at EduCare. Reading to our VPK children.EduCare is proud to be a provider of the Florida Voluntary Pre-kindergarten program.

The EduCare VPK program gives 4-year-olds a head start on language, reading, math and social skills to better prepare them for kindergarten and beyond!

The school-year program provides up to 540 hours of classroom instructional time, free of charge, for children who turn four by September 1st.

EduCare also offers VPK “wrap around” services for a small weekly fee. This allows students to extend their VPK experience for the full day.

The Early Years are the Learning Years

VPK stands for Voluntary Pre-kindergarten Education Program. If you live in Florida, and your child turns 4 four years of age by September 1, your child is eligible to participate in Florida’s free Voluntary Pre-kindergarten (VPK) education program.

Our VPK program runs from 9:00a.m. – 12:00p.m. Monday through Friday. We also offer a “wrap-around” program for parents who want child care for their child beyond the three VPK hours. Our wrap-around program offers breakfast, lunch and two afternoon snacks for the children to enjoy!

Benefits of Early Education and the VPK Program

  • The most important growth and development in the brain happens by the age of five.
  • The early years are the learning years. A child’s ability to be attentive and to follow directions emerges at these ages. Structured early-learning fosters these abilities for later success in school and in life.
  • VPK prepares children to be ready for school. Children who participate in high-quality preschool education programs develop better language skills, score higher in school-readiness tests and have better social skills and fewer behavioral problems once they enter school. They are also better prepared for Kindergarten, especially in the areas of pre-reading, pre-math and social skills.
  • VPK promotes a love of learning in children. VPK also enhances what a child learns at home and instills a love of life-long learning.
  • No registration fees for those students enrolled in the VPK only program.

Curriculum

  • Focuses on reading, writing and social skills
  • Prepares children to be ready for Kindergarten

EduCare’s VPK/Preschool Programs in Port Charlotte are FREE for all children who live in Florida and who turn 4 years of age by September 1.