62% of Polk County children were not ready for kindergarten in 2024. Can early language skills and programs like Camp READY close the gap?

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — The Clay County Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten lottery application for the 2026-2027 school year is now open. Parents and guardians have until February 28 to submit their applications ...

In the battle to keep enrollment up as more and more families opt for virtual and private schools, the Hernando County School District sees its Volunteer Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) program as one of its ...

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) has officially opened the application window for its nationally recognized Magnet and Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) programs for the 2026-2027 school year, ...

PANAMA CITY — Cedar Grove Elementary School earned the top Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) state score in the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida (ELCNWF) service area for the 2024–25 ...

A new initiative is showing promise as a way to help teachers prepare Palm Beach County children for the growing rigors of kindergarten. Why it matters: Children who enter kindergarten ready to learn ...

Collier County Parks and Recreation offers a free Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) program at Immokalee Community Park, which provides more than just the educational basics. The program, designed to ...

Orange County's full-day voluntary pre-kindergarten (VPK) program is accepting applications for the upcoming school year. Registration is due by May 30.The program, which aims to prepare children for ...

Two prominent childcare and VPK programs in DeSoto County have closed their doors in the last five months, leaving early learning advocates from Arcadia to Sarasota mobilizing in search of solutions ...

The YMCA is partnering with Polk County Public Schools to offer VPK and early childhood education at McLaughlin Academy of Excellence in Lake Wales. The program aims to reduce the VPK waiting list and ...

Florida's first voluntary prekindergarten program began in 2005. The program is free for all 4-year-olds. School-readiness test scores show VPK prepares children for school. This story was updated to ...