Kalamazoo County PRE-K is made up of the following programs: 

• Head Start – Federally-funded education for eligible 3- and 4-year-olds 
• Kalamazoo County Ready 4s – Private and public early childhood providers for 3- and 4-year-olds 
• Great Start Readiness Program – State-funded PRE-K programs for eligible 4-year-olds
   

Program details: 

• All Kalamazoo County PRE-K programs are licensed by the state of Michigan. 
• All programs offer a joyful, intentional, life-changing education through a high-quality curriculum that includes positive social skill development and a variety of social and learning activities.
• All programs offer parent and family activities.
• Programs for four-year-olds include the use of Chromebooks.
• All programs use a common pre-K application with documentation of the child's age and residency and the parent's income to determine a child's eligibility.

We hope to continue programming as close to normal as we can with enhanced safety protocols. However, information continues to unfold, and circumstances continue to change. If the plan to reopen with increased safety procedures is unable to happen, we will communicate an alternative plan as soon as possible.

Check out our Return to Learn Plan for details! 

Our first priority is your child’s health and safety. We are working hard to protect our students, families and staff, and have taken extra precautions, including: 

• the use of safety equipment such as Personal Protection Equipment (PPE),
• monitoring symptoms of COVID-19,
• practicing social distancing when possible, and
• proper hygiene and sanitation.

• Children must be 3 years old on or before December 1* in order to qualify for the 3-year-old program.
• Children must be 4 years old on or before December 1* in order to qualify for the 4-year-old program.

• Income Guidelines for Head Start (3- and 4-year-olds)
• Income Guidelines for GSRP (4-year-olds only)
• Income Guidelines for Kalamazoo County Ready 4s (3-year-olds)
• Income Guidelines for Kalamazoo County Ready 4s (4-year-olds)
   

*For families with more than 8 persons,  $4,420  was added for each additional person.
 
Most programs are permitted to accept a small percentage of children from over-income families; however, enrollment of children from over-income families must occur after all attempts have been made to enroll income-eligible children.  If a site is able to fill all seats with income eligible children, unfortunately, they may not enroll any children from over-income families.  In most cases, over-income families do not qualify for free programming but may be enrolled on a sliding fee tuition scale at an extremely reduced tuition rate.

Required paperwork for Pre-K registration is as follows:

• Pre-K Application [You can fill out the online pre-K application (Spanish version) or you can download a hard copy here. 
• Birth Certificate or other proof of age
• Proof of County Residency (driver’s license, utility bill, lease/mortgage agreement, currently homeless, a written letter from the shelter where you are living)
• Verification/documentation of all family income (parents/guardians supporting child) must include the last 12 months of income.
  • Last year's tax return (preferred)
  • Year-to-date pay stub
  • College scholarships
  • Proof of receipt of public assistance (SNAP - EBT/WIC/TANF/SSI)
  • Child or alimony support

All information must be received before eligibility can be determined. All of the information collected is required by state or federal preschool guidelines.  Your information will help us to determine your child’s proper placement.