Voluntary Prekindergarten
Register your child for FREE prekindergarten services. VPK is available to all Florida 4-year-olds and even some 5-year-olds.
There are VPK providers located all throughout Flagler and Volusia Counties. Request a listing!
You can also use our VPK Provider Map to search for providers in your area.
Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) is a free program designed to prepare four-year-old children for kindergarten and build the foundation for their educational success.
VPK is available to any child who is four years old on or before September 1st and living in Florida. Parents whose children are born from February 2 through September 1 of a calendar year may choose to enroll their child in VPK either that year or the next when their child is 5.
VPK gives children the opportunity to learn all developmental domains through play. The eight domains include: Physical Health, Approaches to Learning, Social and Emotional Development, Language and Communication, Emergent Literacy, Mathematical and Scientific Thinking, Social Studies and The Arts, and Motor Development.
Please visit the Division of Early Learning’s website to learn more about the VPK program in general.
Research shows that when learning is part of a game, fun activity, or everyday routine, information sticks longer. VPK gives children a jump start by helping them develop the social and emotional skills needed to succeed in school and life.
Here are 4 other great reasons to enroll your child in VPK:
- Data collected by the Department of Education (FDOE) shows that children who participate in VPK are much more ready for kindergarten than children who do not.
- Children who are kindergarten-ready have a 90% probability rate of reading on the correct level in third grade.
- Children who do well on their third grade reading tests are 90% more likely to graduate high school with their peers.
- Early childhood development directly influences economic, health, and social outcomes.
There are VPK providers located all throughout Flagler and Volusia Counties. Request a listing!
You can also use our VPK Provider Map to search for providers in your area.
VPK is available in different educational settings:
- Family child care homes
- Private centers
- Public schools
- Faith-based programs
- Specialized instructional services providers
All providers must meet VPK program and quality standards. Parents choose the program and setting that best fit the needs of their family.
Program Options
School Year Program
- 540 instructional hours
- Class sizes not to exceed 20 students
- Instructors must have a Birth through Five Florida Child Care Professional Credential and complete special training on early literacy performance standards
- A typical class begins in August
Summer Program
- 300 instructional hours
- Class sizes not to exceed 12 students
- Instructors must have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree
- A typical class begins the following June
Specialized Instruction Services (VPK-SIS)
VPK providers are required to meet the following
standards:
- Private providers must have a director with a VPK director credential.
- Private providers must be licensed (child care, family child care home or large family child care home); be exempt from licensure (certain private schools or faith-based providers); or be accredited by an approved accrediting association.
- Specialized instructional services providers must be licensed or certified professionals.
VPK Provider Map
Need help finding a VPK provider in your area? Use our handy VPK Provider Map!
If you have specific concerns, please contact us by emailing childcare@elcfv.org or by calling us at 386-323-2400 and press 2. We will be more than happy to help you find a VPK program in Flagler or Volusia that’s right for you.