Enrollment in Florida’s voluntary pre kindergarten program continues on a rapid pace. To date, 38 local school districts plan to partner with their local Early Learning Coalition by offering the school year program for four year olds. In the first five days of enrollment more than 50,000 children signed up. The deputy director for the office of early learning, Glady Wilson says now she hopes to get plenty of preschool providers to sign on.

“Right now we don’t have enough schools on paper but we have many, many providers who have submitted the applications and they’re getting through the process. Because they have to verify certain things so it’s not as easy as a child application. But we’re optimistic. We’re starting to get a lot more providers and they’re a couple policy decisions that we’re getting ready to issue that I think will help the providers make those decisions for those who are holding back.”

Some providers are waiting to see the contract with the state, which is about to be released. Others want to know how to work the program with students who are also eligible for childcare subsidies for before and after school care. The prek program runs three hours a day on a state-funded 2500 dollars per child. The Office of Early Learning has launched a prek information call center to take questions from parents and providers. The number is 1-866-FLREADY.