ATTENTION: UPK Deadline Extended to April 10, 2012

The Department of Education's Pre-K application deadline has been extended to Tuesday, April 10, 2012.

Parents can apply to public school pre-k programs online or in person.

Online: If parents would like to apply online, they must submit their application by 11:59 pm on April 10.
In Person: Parents can visit their local enrollment office to fill out a paper application or work with a counselor to complete the online application. The deadline to apply in person at an enrollment office is April 10 at 3:00 pm.

Community-based organization (CBO) pre-kindergarten programs have no specific application deadline. If parents would like to apply to CBO programs, deliver the CBO application directly to each CBO site to which you would like to apply.

For more information about pre-kindergarten admissions—and to see a list of public school and CBO pre-kindergarten programs—visit www.nyc.gov/schools/prek.

ATTENTION: FREE Pre-K Seats Still Available At BK Locations

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** October 13, 2011

Contact: Simone Hawkins at (212) 788-7081

HUNDREDS OF FREE PRE-K SEATS STILL AVAILABLE AT BROOKLYN LOCATIONS
Council Member Letitia James Urges Parents to Enroll Four-Year-Olds Before October 31st Deadline

Brooklyn– Council Member James urges Brooklyn parents to enroll their four-year-olds in free Universal pre-Kindergarten (UPK) classes as full-day and half-day seats remain available at 58 locations around the borough.

All New York City children who turn four years of age by December 31, 2011 are eligible for free UPK seats. Available half-day and full day UPK seats are located at public schools and community-based childcare centers contracted by the Department of Education. UPK offers flexibility in that families can enroll their children in available seats located where they live, where they work, where they go to school or wherever it is convenient for them.

“It is imperative that New York City parents utilize the UPK programs within their communities. With the many cuts to child care services, we must work together to preserve this necessary resource for families. Parents and guardians who rely on this essential service should make sure to contact 311 or the New York City Department of Education to find a center near you before the October 31st deadline. Let us continue to cultivate our communities and children one day at a time.”

Since 2002, the number of four-year-olds enrolled in UPK has increased by over 18,000, with more than 60,000 available seats this year. The City Council and the Bloomberg administration have worked collaboratively with childcare advocates to increase access to pre-kindergarten programs and to ensure their quality over the past six years. However, the majority of funding for UPK comes from state funds, and every year the City is forced to return millions of dollars to the state because UPK seats went unused.

For a full list of programs in your neighborhood that still have seats available, parents can go to City Map on www.nyc.gov, http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/PreK or call 311.

ATTENTION: NYC Imagination Library

The NYC Imagination Library is an initiative of the NYC Department of Education and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The goal is to promote the development of emergent literacy and language skills that are important for every child's success in school by encouraging all NYC parents to read aloud to their children from birth until age five.

Just enroll your preschool-aged child (age 0- 5 yrs) in the NYC Imagination Library- through filling out the application on the link below- and a new, age-appropriate book will be mailed each month in your child's name directly to your home. Books will begin arriving at your home six to eight weeks after your registration form has been received, and will continue every month until your child turns five.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/downloads/pdf/NYC_Imagination_Library_application.pdf

Your child will be eligible for this program as long as you live within the five boroughs of NYC. To reach the NYC Imagination Library program, please call (718) 642-5791 or email imaginationlibrary@schools.nyc.gov.

NYCDOE: Brooklyn UPK Enrollment Info Session

Starting Monday, March 7, pre-kindergarten directories and applications will be available at elementary schools with pre-k programs, borough enrollment offices, information sessions and online at http://www.nyc.gov/schools/prek. The deadline for families to submit an application is Friday, April 8.

Families are invited to attend a pre-kindergarten information session during the week of March 7. These sessions will provide families with a great opportunity to learn more about pre-k programs and the admissions process. Staff members from the Offices of Early Childhood Education and Student Enrollment will be there to answer questions. Translation and interpretation services will be provided. See below for more details about the Brooklyn session.

Tuesday, March 8 - Brooklyn
Sunset Park High School
153 35th Street
6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

If you have any specific questions regarding the Pre-K admissions process, visit http://www.nyc.gov/schools/prek or call the Office of Student Enrollment at 718-935-2009.

Enroll your 4-Year Old in Pre-K NOW!!

New York City provides free Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) programs for children who are four years old by December 31, 2010 and live in the City of New York.

Please contact the Pre-Kindergarten programs in your area which are listed at www.nyc.gov/schools/prek or call 718-935-2009 for availability. Deadline for registration is Friday, October 29, 2010. Openings will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.

To register you must bring your child and the following documents to the program for registration:

* proof of birth (birth certificate or passport)
* two documents verifying proof of residence
* immunization records

For additional information, please call 718-935-2009 or email ES_Enrollment@schools.nyc.gov.

Pre-Kindergarten Admissions 2010-2011

What is Universal Pre‐Kindergarten?
Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) programs provide high-quality instruction to prepare your child for elementary school. Free UPK programs are available in many public schools and community-based organizations (CBOs) across the city.

Who is eligible for free UPK?
Children born between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2006, who will turn four years old between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010, and who reside in New York City are eligible to participate in UPK programs.

Where can I get a Pre‐Kindergarten Directory with a list of all public school and CBO UPK programs?
Pre-Kindergarten Directories will be available March 1 at:
• Borough Enrollment Offices
• Online: www.nyc.gov/schools/PreK

Pre-Kindergarten Directories will be available by March 8 at:
• Elementary Schools with Pre-Kindergarten Programs
• Community School District Offices
• Family Engagement and Advocacy Offices

How do I apply?
Parents may choose to apply to public school and CBO UPK programs:
• Parents may fill out a paper application for public schools which will be distributed as part of the Pre-Kindergarten Directory OR they may apply online at www.nyc.gov/schools/Prek
• CBO applications may be obtained directly from the CBO listed in the Pre-Kindergarten Directory and handed in to each CBO

When is the Pre‐Kindergarten application period?
• Public School programs: The application will be available beginning Monday, March 1 and must be submitted by Friday, April 9. Parents may apply online or submit a paper application by mail.
• CBO programs: Parents should contact CBO programs directly for more information.

Families are invited to attend one of the information sessions to get details about Pre-Kindergarten admissions for the 2010-2011 school year. Representatives from the Office of Student Enrollment and the Office of Early Childhood Education will be available at the sessions to answer your questions. Translations and Interpretation services will be available.

All information sessions will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

3/4/10 - Manhattan
Brandeis High School
145 West 84 Street

3/8/10 - Brooklyn
Brooklyn Technical High School
29 Fort. Greene Place

For more information, call 311 or visit www.nyc.gov/schools/ChoicesEnrollment/PreK

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION URGES PARENTS OF FOUR-YEAR-OLDS TO SIGN UP FOR FREE UNIVERSAL PRE-KINDERGARTEN

The Deadline to Apply for More Than 4,000 Remaining Vacancies is Friday, January 29, 2010.

The Department of Education today urged parents to sign-up their children for free universal pre-Kindergarten (UPK) seats before the Friday, January 29 deadline. More than 4,000 UPK seats remain open at public schools, child care centers contracted by the Administration for Children’s Services, and community-based organizations across the five boroughs. All children who turned four years old between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009, are eligible for UPK. Programs can be half-day (two and a half hours, AM or PM) or full-day (six hours and twenty minutes).

To find programs with vacancies, parents can call 311 and ask for “UPK programs in my neighborhood,” or follow the link below to find schools that may have available pre-K seats:
Brooklyn public schools that may have seats available

Parents can also contact Community-Based Organization programs directly to find out about seat availability.

CM James Urges Parents to Enroll 4YOs Before October 30th

**For Immediate Release**

October 19, 2009

CONTACT: Amyre Loomis– (718) 260-9191

Hundreds of Free Pre-K Seats Still Available at Brooklyn Locations

Council Member James Urges Parents to Enroll Four-Year-Olds before October 30th Deadline

Brooklyn, October 19, 2009– During a recent visit to Young Minds Day Care Center in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, Council Member Letitia James learned that the center still has several Universal pre-Kindergarten seats available. She urges parents to enroll their four-year-olds in free Universal pre-Kindergarten (UPK) classes this month. Many full day and half day UPK seats remain available at 265 locations within the borough of Brooklyn, and parents only have until October 30, 2009 to enroll their children.

“Low enrollment in day care centers is a high priority issue for me. Unfortunately, Brooklyn day care centers have the lowest enrollment rates of all five boroughs,” she said. “In this time of growing budget reductions, we must make sure that our funding and valuable resources are not cut by the Administration of Children’s Services, or returned to the State due to underuse especially when there is a clear need for day care, as we know exists in Brooklyn.”

All New York City children who turn four years of age by December 31, 2009 are eligible for free UPK seats. Available half-day and full day UPK seats are located at public schools and community-based childcare centers contracted by the Department of Education. UPK offers flexibility in that families can enroll their children in available seats located where they live, where they work, where they go to school, or wherever it is convenient for them.

Carolie Mills-Skeete, Director of Young Minds Day Care Center encourages parents to visit. “What makes Young Minds special is our hands-on approach, plus our dance and art classes,” she said.

Since 2002, the number of four-year-olds enrolled in UPK has increased by over 14,000, with more than 59,000 available seats this year. The City Council and the Bloomberg administration have worked collaboratively with childcare advocates to increase access to pre-kindergarten programs and to ensure their quality over the past six years. However, the majority of funding for UPK comes from state funds, and every year the City is forced to return millions of dollars to the state because UPK seats went unused.

For a full list of programs in your neighborhood that still have seats available, parents can go to City Map on www.nyc.gov, http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/PreK or call 311.


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UPK Round 2 Application Process Begins

You may now apply for the NYC public school Pre-Kindergarten program by completing and submitting your application. The deadline to apply is Friday, July 31.

Please review the Round 2 Pre-Kindergarten Directory before completing the application process. It can be found here: http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/C1AE6A05-9ED8-4428-BC3A-076103B28E28/0/PKDII071309v3.pdf

The application itself can be found on the Student Enrollment Management System here: https://prod.semsnycdoe.com/parentsite/

Paper applications may be picked-up at:

29 Fort Greene Place, Room BE12
Phone: 646-285-8152
*general education only

131 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: 718-935-4908
*special education only

Calendar:

Monday, July 13, 2009
-Round 2 application period begins

Friday, July 31, 2009
-Round 2 application period ends

Friday, August 28, 2009
-Offer letters mailed to families

Wednesday, September 9, 2009
-Round 2 registration begins at schools

The first day of school for the 2009-10 school year is Wednesday, September 9.

You may learn more about the process and UPK here: http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/PreK/default.htm

ATTENTION: New Universal Pre-K Application Process

The New Universal Pre-K Admissions Process: What You Need To Know

Applications are being accepted March 6th, 2009-April 3rd, 2009

Things to know before you apply:
• Your child must have been born between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005 to be eligible.
• The child must have the same address as the adult applying (custodial guardian)
• There are two application options: online and paper

Online application:

Eventually will be available in 8 languages
http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/PreK/default.htm
[This is the main page for UPK enrollment. From this page you’ll find the deadlines, calendar, a place to sign up for email updates, download the online directory, and get the online application.]

The application itself can be found at: https://prod.semsnycdoe.com/parentsite/

After you set up an account, you will receive a confirmation email, which will tell you how to activate your account.

The system prompts you to review your application before submitting it. After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email with a verification number. You will also have the opportunity to print your receipt immediately or download it in PDF form. You can log back in and make changes until April 3rd, 2009.

Entering School Preferences:

-When entering schools, must enter the school number with punctuation (example: P.S. 003 not ps 3).
-The same school can sometimes be entered up to 3 different times (for full day, am, or pm slot).
-If you are using the paper application, do not place all three times in the same ranking.

Paper Application:

Printed Application is included in the printed directories.

Available at: public schools, enrollment offices, through elected officials
-Directory is organized by district
-Shows for each school- the number of seats, how many applied the previous year, how many were given offers the previous year
-Includes description of the priority system

Siblings:

Must be enrolled in K-grade 4 for the 2009-2010 school year.

Student ID number can be obtained from ID cards, report cards, or the school itself.

Twins/Multiples:

Can apply to different schools or the same school.

Online: must submit two applications (one per child)
Paper: must mail in two separate applications (one per child)

Community Based Organizations:

Included in the directory, application is NOT in the directory.

Individual applications necessary for each place you apply.
Apply directly at the Community Based Organization.

Questions concerning the process can be directed to the Office of Council Member Letitia James at (212) 788-7081.

Universal Pre-K (for 4-year-olds) Slots Are Still Available!

Parents should contact individual programs to confirm seat availability and to register but the following tools noted below are available to help families find UPK programs with available seats:

Families can call 311 and ask for a UPK program in their neighborhood.

Call a toll free number (888) 469-5999 and speak with a parent counselor; NYCMap lets families search for UPK programs with available seats close to their home, work or school. Families can log on to www.nyc.gov, click on the “Universal Pre-K” hand icon, click on “locate a program,” and enter an address, and
The DOE Web site has a directory of programs with available seats at (http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/PreK/default.htm).

To assist with your outreach, a flyer has been created for your use. The flyers are available in English, Spanish and Chinese. To help target areas with the most vacancies, attached are updated maps of vacant slots by zip codes.

Open slots for Universal Pre- K in the 35th Council District

As of October 31st, the city will have to declare how many open slots are still available in the Universal Pre-K [UPK] program. The problem with this is that the funding for those slots will also be reabsorbed and there is no guarantee that it will be restored in the future. If you child is four years old, and in need of childcare, that you enroll them before them.

There are both Public Schools AND Community Based Organizations that fall under this category. You can go to the nyc.gov site and click on "Register for Pre-Kindergarten" to find out other UPK slots in your area. You may also look on a map for UPK sites http://gis.nyc.gov/doitt/cm/CityMap.htm

To register you will need to:
1. Proof of Address
2. Proof of Age (the site provides more information on this)
3. Immunization Records

Also, it is very important to call the site beofre going, as some may have filled the slots since the list of UPK sites was last revised.

You can also call our office for private and public daycares not on this list with available slots. If your child is younger than four, there are other facilities also available.

In November Council Member DeBlasio and James will be hosting a DAY CARE FAIR, modeled after the high school fair. (More information to come on this event.)

UPK SITES WITH AVAILABLE SLOTS:
[Comunity based Organizations]
Young Minds Day Care (972 Fulton St.
Medgar Evers College (1150 Carroll Street)
Yeled V'Yaida Early Childhood Center Inc. (667 Eastern Prky)

[Public Schools]
PS 287 Bailey K Ashford (50 Navy St.)
PS307 Daniel K Ashford (209 York St.)
PS 167 The Parkway (1025 Eastern Prky)
PS 316 Elijah Stroud (750 Classon Ave.)
PS 375 Jackie Robinson (46 Mc Keever Pl.)