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Child Care

Free Pre-K for four-year-olds

Pre-K for All (Pre-K) | NYC Department of Education (DOE)

1. How it Works

Pre-K programs help children get a strong start in school and life. Your child can learn to problem-solve, ask questions, and explore the world around them in a safe, nurturing learning community.

  • Apply to pre-K for the 2024-2025 school year between January 10, 2024 to March 1, 2024.
  • In New York City, children begin pre-K in the calendar year they turn four.
  • Pre-K programs offer Full day, Extended Day and Year and Head Start seat types, each with their own eligibility requirements. Learn more.
  • Pre-K programs are offered throughout the five boroughs in three settings. Each setting offers a consistent DOE high-quality, play-based curriculum. Settings might be:
    • select public elementary schools,
    • Pre-K centers run by NYCDOE staff, and
    • community-based organizations (CBOs).

2. Determine your eligibility

All NYC children born in 2020 can enroll for the 2024-2025 school year. This includes children with disabilities or who are learning English.

Children do not need to be toilet trained to attend pre-K.

Take a short survey to see if you might be eligible for this or 30 other programs.

Am I Eligible?

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3. How to Apply

3. How to apply

Here are your options.

Apply online

Apply on MySchools from January 10, 2024 to March 1, 2024. You can apply in English, Arabic, Bengali/Bangla, Chinese, Haitian Creole, French, Korean, Russian, Spanish, or Urdu.

You can also find half-day pre-K programs in MySchools.

Apply for Pre-K

Apply by phone

Apply in person

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We can send you a link to this page to help you get back to it when you’re ready.

More ways to get help with this program

Visit the website

Visit the NYC DOE Pre-K website to learn more about the pre-K admissions process.

Email Pre-K admissions

Email [email protected] if you have questions about getting into pre-K.

Call 311

Ask for Pre-K For All.

Last Updated January 23, 2024

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