There is no denying the importance of quality preschool education. Attending the best early learning centers – such as the Creative Lab Center – does not only shape one’s personality, but it also makes one that much likely to succeed in their career. This is the reason that parents today start shortlisting schools and putting money together for their child’s Pre-K even before they are born. But if you live in Georgia, you’re in luck! Thanks to the state-funded Georgia Pre-K program, parents of four-year old’s in this part of the world do not have to worry about finances when choosing the best preschool education for their child.
What is the Georgia Pre-K program
The Georgia Pre-K is an excellent voluntary preschool program consisting of 6.5 hours of great fun and play, five days a week and 180 days a year. And the best part? It’s all paid for by the government!
What are the prerequisites to enroll your child in the Georgia Pre-K program
So, what do you need to be eligible to apply for this exceptional program?
Well, it’s quite simple. All that is required is for your child to be a Georgia resident and at least 4 years old as of September 1st of the year you are applying.
How to enroll your child in this state funded program?
The application process for the Georgia Pre-K program is quite simple and straightforward. And to make it even easier for you, we have put together this convenient step by step guide.
Here is what you need to do to enroll your child in Georgia’s state funded preschool program.
Step one: Collect the required documents
In order to apply for this program, the first thing you must do is collect all the required documents. These include proof of age and citizenship, the complete application form, and your child’s medical record.
Documents that can serve as proof of age can be the child’s birth certificate, passport, or hospital record. Citizenship can be proven by documents relating to property tax, leases, homeowner’s insurance, or mortgages. The application form for the program can be downloaded and printed out from the DECAL website.
Step two: Decide on a Pre-K program – we recommend those offered at the Creative Lab Center
Once you have all the required documents with you, the next step is to shortlist the best early learning centers and the preschool programs they offer from the list of available institutes. A number of local school systems and childcare learning centers in Georgia offer the Georgia Pre-K program. We suggest that you pick one like the Creative Lab Center to ensure the highest quality of education and the greatest preschool experience for your little one.
The choice of preschool to apply at is incredibly important. Even the same curriculum is taught differently at different institutes, and hence, can have a completely disparate impact on your child depending on where you send them. The Creative Lab Center ensures a wholesome and safe environment for your child to learn and grow beside their peers.
Step three: Submit the application
With your documents ready and the choice of preschool made, now is the time to actually go and submit that application for the Georgia Pre-K program. This process can vary between the different childcare learning centers, and so, the best course of action is to turn to their admissions department for guidance on this.
Look up the deadline for submitting the application to your decided preschool or early learning center beforehand and make sure that you get it there in time.
Step four: Keep an eye out for any notifications from the preschool
Unfortunately, simply submitting the application for enrollment in the Georgia Pre-K program does not mean that your child is in. Due to the sheer number of applicants interested in this program, preschools and early learning centers must shortlist the best applications of the lot. In the meanwhile, all you have to do is sit tight and keep an eye out for any mail from the institute where you have applied.
You can either be accepted into the program, rejected, or waitlisted. In case you are waitlisted, your child will be offered a seat if someone else backs out and any space is created.
Do check your email, phone messages, and the letters you receive everyday to make sure you do not miss an important notice.
Step five: Complete the registration process
Finally, when you receive word from the preschool of your child’s acceptance into the Georgia Pre-K program, you must complete the enrollment process by registering at the institute. For this, the institute will guide you on what to do when they communicate with you.
It is important to be super vigilant about the deadline at this point because missing it will mean that your spot will now be offered to somebody else.
