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The early years of a child’s life are fundamentally important because they are the foundation that shapes the rest of his/her life.
These years play a critical role during a vital developmental period. Research has shown that early childhood education is highly beneficial because the human brain is most receptive to learning at this young age.
There are many benefits of early childhood education, particularly for social-emotional development. The earlier that children are introduced to others their age, the sooner they develop warm, supportive relationships, develop independence and autonomy, and experience enjoyment and excitement about going to school and learning.
Social skills allow children to learn about teamwork and how to respect others, which are all essential parts of personal growth. Valuing difference and diversity are crucial to a child’s early development and early childhood education serves as a guide to help him/her learn that everyone is unique and special in their own way.
The heart of preschool is learning through play which fosters opportunities for critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. By providing hands-on experiences that are developmentally appropriate and interesting to young children, students receive the tools necessary for school success.
Environments that are nurturing, focus on language development, early literacy and math skills and empower children to investigate the world around them are essential in early learning. The advances children achieve socially, emotionally, and academically from high-quality early learning settings are truly invaluable.
Offered in more than 200 schools countywide, the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is your best choice for early childhood education and Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) programs. They provide high-quality comprehensive services to prepare young children for lifelong learning.
M-DCPS Department of Early Childhood Programs provides services to children beginning at 2 months to 5 years of age. The curriculum, leadership, qualified staff and instructional support of these programs enables M-DCPS to provide a variety of offerings to meet the developmental needs of all students.
The Florida VPK Education Program is free and prepares 4-year-old children for the beginning of their school career. The program is in operation at more than 200 schools throughout the county. Children must be 4 years old by Sept. 1 of the school year they enroll. A list of participating schools is available on the website http://earlychildhood.dadeschools.net.
M-DCPS’ VPK Program utilizes a lottery to select students. After submitting proof of birth and address to their home/neighborhood school before the deadline of Feb. 22, 2024, families will be entered into the VPK lottery. The lottery will be held on Feb. 23, 2024. All VPK applications must be submitted prior to that date.
Children whose names are drawn in the lottery will be selected to attend the program.
Once selected, families will be required to submit a VPK Program Certificate of Eligibility which can be obtained online at the Early Learning Coalition’s website: http://www.vpkhelp.org.
Open seats will be available at select schools after the lottery date. Beginning March 2024, a new online platform will be introduced for VPK. Parents, who missed the lottery deadline or whose child was not selected for their boundary school during the lottery process, will be able to view all schools with available seats and select a school for their child. Information regarding this new platform will be placed on the department’s website at http://earlychildhood.dadeschools.net. As always, parents can contact the Department of Early Childhood Programs at 305-995-7632 for additional information.
M-DCPS also is your best choice for Head Start. The district works in partnership with the Community Action and Human Services Department of Miami-Dade County. Head Start is a comprehensive federal government-funded child development program that serves children from low-income families beginning on their third birthday. Children with disabilities are included in the program and are eligible to receive a full range of developmental services.
Eligibility for the Head Start Program is based on the family’s income with eligibility established by the federal government. The recruitment period for the 2024-25 school year began on Jan. 8, 2024. Families can apply by visiting any of the 31 M-DCPS Head Start sites located throughout the county or online by visiting headstart.dadeschools.net. For a list of participating schools, visit the Head Start website at http://headstart.dadeschools.net.
In addition, Early Childhood Programs offer the Reverse Mainstream Program. In this program, general education model students are recruited to occupy limited spaces in Pre-K special education classrooms throughout the district. This program offers a free full-day or half-day opportunity for students who qualify.
Students are eligible by their third birthday and must have age-appropriate language and social skills, as they will serve as role models for children with disabilities. This curriculum offers students the opportunity to learn reading, math, science, and social studies, as well as develop their social skills in the school environment.
Parents should ask at their home or neighborhood school, or call the Pre-K Special Education office at 305-271-5701 to identify programs near their homes. The role models in the Reverse Mainstream program are invited to attend school for a few days in the spring so teachers can determine their readiness for this program.
M-DCPS is your best choice for early childhood education. The district recognizes the benefits of early childhood education, and in developing school readiness. We are committed to providing high-quality and early learning environments for all young learners.
For more information about Early Childhood Programs, visit earlychildhood.dadeschools.net or call 305-995-7632.
Lynn Maceyras is Administrative Director, Department of Early Childhood Programs, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and Judy Palenzuela is Director of Community Outreach, Department of Early Childhood Programs, Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
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