Programs
VPK
Florida’s legislatively mandated Voluntary PreKindergarten (VPK) program is intended to prepare every four-year-old in the state of Florida for kindergarten and build a strong foundation for their continued educational success.
VPK is a free, voluntary program that caregivers of 4-year-old children can choose to participate in through either a school year program for a total of 540 instructional hours or a summer program for a total of 300 instructional hours.
Families can also choose to enroll their child in either a public school or a preschool program offered by a private provider.
The Early Learning Coalition of the Big Bend Region (ELC) is the local entity responsible for the implementation and administration of the VPK program in Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, and Wakulla counties.
The ELC enrolls children and providers and facilitates payments to VPK providers. The ELC also provides up-to-date information on the VPK program, distributes current VPK policies, offers program guidance and instruction, presents training opportunities, and monitors compliance with VPK policies and standards.
For more information about the VPK program, visit the Division of Early Learning’s website.
- VPK Information Flyer (to print for families)
VPK Online Registration (For Caregivers)
On March 8, 2014, the ELC launched the VPK Online Registration process. Providers are encouraged to have their families register using this new system. If families do not have access to computers and scanners, please inform them that all of the ELC’s offices are equipped with these resources. For ELC locations and hours, click here. Need help? Call us at 1-866-973-9030 or email vpk@elcbigbend.org.
