The NC Pre-K Program is designed to provide high-quality educational experiences to enhance school readiness for eligible four-year-old children. The NC Pre-K Program Requirements are built on the National Education Goals Panel’s premise that to be successful academically in school, children need to be prepared in all five of the developmental domains that are critical to children’s overall well-being and success in reading and math as they enter school:

• Approaches to play and learning
• Emotional and social development
• Health and Physical Development
• Language development and communication
• Cognitive development

The NC Pre-K Program Requirements are designed to ensure that a high-quality pre-kindergarten classroom experience is provided for eligible four-year-old children in each local NC Pre-K Program and that, to the extent possible, uniformity exists across the state. Programs are also required to meet the NC Child Care Rules. NC’s Pre-K program meets a number of nationally accepted benchmarks for measuring quality early learning. These include comprehensive Early Learning Standards; staff who are required to meet education/licensure requirements, professional development; 1:9 staff/child ratio; developmental screens and referral; evidence-based curriculum and formative assessments; monitoring and nutritional requirements. 

The child must be four years old on or before August 31st of the program year.  A child that meets the age requirement is eligible for NC Pre-K if the child is from a family whose gross income is at or below 75% of the State Median Income (SMI).  Children of certain military families are also eligible without regard to income.  In addition, up to 20% of age-eligible children enrolled may have family incomes in excess of 75% SMI if they have documented risk factors in specific categories including developmental disability, Limited English Proficiency, educational need, or chronic health condition.

Although a child may meet one or more eligibility factors, placement is not guaranteed in an NC Pre-K classroom. Waiting lists exist in counties when funding is not sufficient to serve all eligible children.  Local NC Pre-K contract administrators can provide specific information about the enrollment process, available programs that meet NC Pre-K Program Requirements, and other specific information related to participation in NC Pre-K in your county, as well as other options for early childhood education services (e.g., Child Care Subsidy, Child Care Resource and Referral, Head Start, Preschool Exceptional Children, Smart Start, Title I Preschool). 

FGV Smart Start directly manages the NC Pre-K program for Franklin County, NC.

For information regarding NC Pre-K in Granville County, please contact the Granville County School System.

For information regarding NC Pre-K in Vance County, please contact the Vance County School System.

• Born Ready-Parent Resources for Pre K
• Prekinders: Free Resources
• Wonderschool: Parent Resources
• National Association for the Education of Young Children
• First Things First/Resources
• Start Early/Family Resources
• Reading Rockets/Parent Guides
• Florida Center for Reading Research/Pre-Kindergarten
• I can statement descriptors
• North Carolina Early Learning Inventory for Families
• Literacy at Home: Digital Children’s Reading Initiative
• At Home Learning/ PBS Resources
• Vroom/Resources