What is VPK?

Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten

VPK stands for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. If you live in Florida, and your child turns four years of age by September 1, your child is eligible to participate in Florida’s FREE Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) education program.

VPK legislation was signed into law by Governor Jeb Bush on January 2, 2005. This law created a program to prepare every Florida four-year-old for Kindergarten and to build a strong foundation for their continued educational success.

The State program agrees to pay for each child to receive 540 education hours throughout the school year. To accomodate those hours, Lakewood Methodist offers the free VPK Monday through Thursday from 9am – 1pm. Each eligible student must obtain a certificate of eligibility from the Early Learning Coalition and present it to the school to begin instruction. Although our VPK is only Monday through Thursday, parents can choose to pay for Friday instruction and care each month. We hope to be the center you choose to help your child prepare for Kindergarten.

You can find more information about the VPK program in Duval County at their website.