Universal PreKindgarten options for valley families

Parents of the youngest students now have more options for their kids.

Parents of 3 and 4-year-olds now have different options on early education depending on their child's birthdate and their families' income level.

We visited Palm Springs Unified School District to learn more about the different programs in the valley.

Myra Acosta, the Director of Early Childhood Education at Palm Springs Unified School District has a special connection with early learning. Almost two decades ago she enrolled her 3-year-old special needs son in the state's Head Start program.

"Because of that one year in Head Start, it really taught him the fundamentals, he needed to be successful in a general setting, in kindergarten ... At his first year in Head Start, Daniel did have very limited skills, he didn't have language, he had to have quite a bit of needs. So he had to have one to ones, he had a lot of support," says Acosta.

Fast forward to today, the State of California continues to emphasize an early start to education for 3 and 4-year-olds through their child's age and their families' income.

"They can look at Head Start, State Preschool, they can look at Private Preschools within the community, your childcares, or what's called Transitional Kindergarten as well," says Jessica Whiteman, Director of Elementary Curriculum.

Transitional Kindergarten, also known at TK, has expanded age eligibility throughout the years since it first launched in 2021.

"This year, any any student who is 4, and turns 5, between September 2, and April 2, is eligible for transitional kindergarten," says Whiteman.

By 2025, TK will be available for all California students who turn 4 by September 1.

Other options include the head start program that's determined by federal income guidelines.

"What we're trying to do is provide that educational services for our higher risk students and our families to ensure that they have all the skills necessary for them to start their academic journey early on with us," says Acosta.

The California State Preschool Program uses state income guidelines to determine eligibility.

"When families come in here, we give them one application so we can see if they qualify for both programs. If they qualify for both programs, then we look for that families needs to see what program will meet their needs," says Acosta.

It was early education that allowed students like Daniel to succeed academically.

"Then in third grade, we decided to conduct a full assessment. To our surprise, Daniels scored gifted and above average in most areas. So what he didn't qualify for special-ed services anymore," says Acosta.

Acosta tells me her son is now in college studying computer science.

Early education specialists with PSUSD emphasize they do not encourage one program over the other. Instead they want to match families with the program that best works for them.

At Desert Sands Unified School District, full-day and part-day options are available through two programs: Head Start and California State Preschool Program (CSPP). Click here for DSUSD Preschool registration information.

Coachella Valley Unified School District is alerting parents of an enrollment event. Parents can learn about Head Start, Preschool, TK and Kindergarten options on August 10. Health screenings will be available at the event.

In Palm Springs Unified School District, parents can enroll students in Early Childhood Education programs ranging from Early Head Start (pregnancy, ages 0-3), Head Start, and California State Preschool Program. Income guidelines apply; check with the district directly to find out more information about your family's eligibility.

From the California Department of Education: What prekindergarten programs may parents choose from?

Transitional kindergarten (TK) is a universally accessible and free program for age-eligible four-year-old children (to be available at no cost to all four-year-old children by the 2025-26 school year) and parents may choose to enroll their children in a TK program or any other prekindergarten program for which the family is eligible including, but not limited to, the California State Preschool Program (CSPP), Head Start, in addition to subsidized programs administered by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). TK is not mandatory for children. Families who choose to enroll their children in TK remain eligible for subsidized early learning and care programs, including, but not limited to part-day CSPP, and will be able to choose to send their child to those programs, space permitting, as long as the hours of operation do not overlap with the hours of TK. Families may also continue to choose to enroll their children in private preschool or prekindergarten programs or keep their children at home until the age of six, when compulsory education begins.