The Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Program is a state-funded program designed to prepare four-year-olds for kindergarten and build the foundation for their educational success. The program allows a parent to enroll his or her eligible child (four years old by September 1 and residing in Florida) in a FREE VPK program of their choice. The program is voluntary for children and providers. In Broward County Public Schools, the free VPK program is combined with additional hours called, “Enrichment.” The combined VPK and Enrichment hours are combined to create a full school day program. At some schools, the full day is free and at others, the enrichment portion of the day is tuition supported.

A child must be 4 years of age on or before September 1 of the program year, and reside in Florida to participate in the VPK program.

A child must turn 4 years old on or before September 1st of the current year. 

For application information including how to apply for our BCPS Head Start/Early Head Start program, please visit the VPK application page.

Step 1. Apply for your child’s VPK Certificate of Eligibility online via the State of Florida - Family Portal website

No, after obtaining your VPK certificate from the Family Portal website, please complete Step 2 - create an account with the BCPS - VPK Parent Portal. Please visit the following link for more information on how to apply to VPK at Broward Schools. https://www.browardschools.com/Page/50539

Please visit the following link for information on the application process and timelines. https://www.browardschools.com/Page/50539 

You can check the status of your child's application by logging into your account on the BCPS - VPK Parent Portal. 

In order to make any updates to your submitted VPK application (including changing your school preference), please email vpkparentportal@browardschools.com

The VPK portion of the BCPS VPK/Enrichment program is FREE for eligible children, regardless of family income. Registration and tuition fees are not permitted for the free, 3-hour VPK portion of the day.  However, registration and tuition fees are permitted for the non-VPK (i.e. ‘Enrichment’) portion of the day. 

Selection for a Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program at a school does not guarantee placement for Kindergarten at the same school. If your child is selected or offered a seat in a BCPS - Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) class that is not your boundary school, you must apply for and receive a reassignment in order for your child to attend Kindergarten at the same school. To learn about the reassignment process, please visit the School Choice website.

Your child will remain on the wait list for the remainder of this school year. You will be contacted if a space becomes available, and your child is selected.

No, transportation services are not provided. 

Yes, food from home is permitted. The BCPS VPK Program adheres to the USDA nutritional guidelines and portion-size servings. We provide a FREE balanced, nutritious breakfast and snack for your child.