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Thank you for helping to spread the word about Universal PreKindergarten (UPK) in California! This PowerPoint presentation was developed to help UPK implementers (districts, CSPPs, Head Starts, private preschool and childcare providers, advocates, etc.) communicate with families and community members about the UPK programs available in their area. Before you get started, here are a few notes to help you use this document successfully:

This presentation is intended to be tailored and customized based on your local UPK programs/the UPK program you represent. Many of the slides in this deck leave space for you to fill in information, such as links to enrollment forms, contact information, and QR codes. You should feel empowered to personalize the photos and copy to better fit the tone and message that’s right for your community. You can also delete slides that are not relevant to your program or community.

If you represent a CSPP program, slides 11 & 12 are available for you to customize.
If you represent a Head Start program, slides 13 & 14 are available for you to customize.
If you represent a Private PreK program, slide 15 is available for you to customize.
If you represent a TK program, slides 16-18 are available for you to customize.

We encourage you to promote as many programs in your community as possible to support authentic family choice.

Talking points have been developed to accompany this presentation, which you will also find in the notes of each slide in this deck. You can find other useful materials for communicating with UPK implementers and UPK users on the UPK Resources Landing Page, including overview two-pagers, a communications toolkit, and guidelines for the UPK brand.

How to use this document

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March 21, 2025

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There are more free and low-cost preschool spots available in your community!

Universal PreKindergarten (UPK) brings more choices for preschool, including Transitional Kindergarten, to families.

Key Messages | Bringing a Consistent Frame and Voice • • • www.cde.ca.gov • • • PG | 3

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Early learning programs put children �on a path to succeed in school and be ready for college and careers

Improved self-control and ability to manage emotions��Higher achievement in math and reading throughout elementary school��Increased likelihood of high school graduation��Increased likelihood of a college degree

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Research shows that children who attend preschool have:

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Pathways to Kindergarten

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Universal PreKindergarten

3-4 years old

Head Start

State-Funded Preschool

Transitional Kindergarten (TK)

Private PreK Provider

Family choice of Childcare or Home

Early Learning and Care

0-3 years old

Early Head Start/Head Start

State-Funded Preschool

Licensed Childcare Center or Home

Family, Friend, and Neighbor Caregiver

Kindergarten

5-years-old

Starting�Kindergarten

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Families can choose from a variety of preschool programs for their young children. Here’s a breakdown of some of those choices:

Preschool Choices Available for 3–5 Year Olds

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Name	California State Preschool Program (CSPP)	Head Start	Private	Transitional Kindergarten (TK)
Ages	3- and 4-year-olds	3- and 4-year-olds	3- and 4-year-olds	4-year-olds, depending on birthday
What it is	Preschool program run through contracts from the State of California	Federally-funded preschool program.	Variety of half-day and full-day preschool and childcare programs	Part of the public elementary school system that takes place the year before kindergarten
Schedule	Part-day and full-day options available	Part-day and full-day options available	Part-day and full-day determined by individual preschool providers	Part-day and full-day options available, depending on local decisions
Cost	Free or low-cost, based on income eligibility and other factors	Free, based on income eligibility	Fees determined by individual preschool providers. Some families may be eligible for state subsidized vouchers to cover the costs of care.	Free, regardless of income

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UPK brings together all of these programs so families have more choices of high-quality learning programs that meet their needs.

UPK also connects before and afterschool and private care programs so families have options for a full day of care.

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Connecting Your Choices

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All families in California–regardless of immigration & income status–are eligible to participate depending on your child’s age and the program you select
Transitional Kindergarten (TK) will be available to all 4-year-old children for free
More flexible, high-quality early education choices for their 3- and 4-year-olds that address families' childcare needs*
The opportunity to give input to make sure local UPK programs reflect your family’s and community’s needs and culture
Schools that are ready to support your child's learning
Assurance that your child is entering school equipped with the tools that will help them succeed

What UPK offers families

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*Pending eligibility and other requirements

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When you are deciding on the best preschool option for your child, here are some of the logistical things to consider:

Is it full-day or part-day?
If it’s part-day, who will care for your child during the remainder of the day?

Are there other programs available (like a before and after school program or another childcare program) to care for your child or will you or a family member be available?

Do they offer transportation?
What is the cost of the program?
Is your child eligible*?

*All 4-year-olds will soon be eligible for TK, but other programs may consider family income, whether your child speaks English at home, whether your child has a disability, and other factors as conditions for eligibility.

Things to Consider in Your Decision: Logistics

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When you are deciding on the best preschool option for your child, here are things to consider based on your families cultural and personal needs:

Is the classroom accessible? Do they have teachers who know how to work with children with disabilities?
Do they have teachers who speak the same language you speak at home?
Can your child see themselves represented in their teachers? Do they have teachers or staff who look like your family?
What kind of resources are they providing to families?
Are there family engagement opportunities or do they offer family leadership involvement?

Things to Consider in Your Decision: Cultural and Personal Choices

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3-years-old

4-years-old

5-years-old

CSPP

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Starts Kindergarten

Attends a California State Preschool program run by a local elementary school

Continues attending the California State Preschool Program in the morning, and starts attending a TK program in the afternoon

Starts Kindergarten

Attends a program run by a licensed preschool center that blends California State Preschool Program and Head Start to provide a full day of learning and care

Starts Kindergarten

Emma

Liam

Attends a full-day California State Preschool Program in her Tribal Community

Nina

Starts Kindergarten

Attends a family childcare home that provides California State Preschool as part of a Family Childcare Home Education Network (FCCHEN)

Moves to full-day TK at a local elementary school and attends an on-campus before and after school program while his parents work

Noah

Starts Kindergarten

Your child's journey to Kindergarten is up to you

Choose the best options that meet your cultural, family, and life needs

Your child’s journey to Kindergarten can take a number of different pathways. Here are a few examples of how families can choose CSPP for their children’s preschool and care. Families can decide to keep their child in CSPP through Kindergarten, or they can match CSPP with other UPK programs to fit their needs.

Take Noah, for example. When he's 3-years-old, he attends a family childcare home that provides California State Preschool as part of a Family Childcare Home Education Network (FCCHEN). When he's 4, he moves to a full-day Transitional Kindergarten program at his local elementary school. He attends an on-campus before an after school program while his parents work. And then when he's 5-years-old, he starts kindergarten.

Then we have Liam, who attends CSPP and Head Start program for a full day's worth care until he's 5 when he starts Kindergarten

Another example is Emma, who at 3 attends a CSPP program at her local elementary school. She stays with this program when she's 4-years-old, but starts the TK program in the afternoons and moves to Kindergarten at age 5.

And then we have Nina, who will, who attends a full-day CSPP in her tribal community. She attends this until she's ready to start Kindergarten at age 5.

Families must meet income requirements to be eligible for CSPP.

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Key Messages | Bringing a Consistent Frame and Voice • • • www.cde.ca.gov • • • PG | 12

How to enroll in CSPP

A list of California State Preschool Programs (CSPP) programs in our community can be found here [insert link] or by following the QR code below. Applications are available for pick-up at any participating preschool site.

Applications must be received by XX:XX A/PM on MM/DD/YYYY to be considered.

You can also contact our local resource and referral agent for help finding and applying to CSPP:

Call: XXX-XXX-XXXX

Email: example@yourdistrict.edu

QR Code

CSPP

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3-years-old

4-years-old

5-years-old

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Starts Kindergarten

Attends a Head Start program run by a local elementary school

Continues attending the Head Start in the morning, and starts attending a TK program in the afternoon

Starts Kindergarten

Attends a program run by a licensed preschool center that blends California State Preschool Program and Head Start to provide a full day of learning and care

Starts Kindergarten

Julian

Attends a full-day Head Start Program run by a local Tribal Education Center

Sophia

Starts Kindergarten

Attends a full-day Head Start program run by a licensed preschool center

Moves to full-day TK at a local elementary school and attends an on-campus before and after school program while her parents work

Starts Kindergarten

Oliver

Head

Start

Your child's journey to Kindergarten is up to you

Choose the best options that meet your cultural, family, and life needs

Isabella

Head Start is one of the UPK programs eligible families can choose for their child’s journey to Kindergarten. Here are a few examples of how eligible families can choose Head Start for their children’s preschool and care. Families can decide to keep their child in Head Start through Kindergarten, or they can match Head Start with other UPK programs to fit their needs.

At 3-years-old, Isabella attends a full-day Head Start program at a licensed preschool center before moving to a full-day TK program at her elementary school. She attends an on-campus afterschool program while her parents work.
Julian attends a full-day licensed preschool center that blends CSPP and Head Start all the way until he starts Kindergarten.

Oliver goes to his local elementary school for a Head Start program, and then when he turns 4, he starts attending a TK program in the afternoons.

And the local Tribal Education Center offers a full-day Head Start program that Sophia attends from 3 to 4 years old.

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Key Messages | Bringing a Consistent Frame and Voice • • • www.cde.ca.gov • • • PG | 14

How to enroll in Head Start

You can find and apply for Head Start in our community here [update to local link, if applicable] or follow the QR code below.

�You can also contact our local Head Start office for help finding and applying to programs in our area:

Call: XXX-XXX-XXXX

Email: example@localheadstart.org

QR Code

Head

Start

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How to enroll in Private PreK Programs

Contact our local resource and referral agency here [insert link] or by following the QR code below for help finding and contacting private PreK programs that have availability in our area:

You can also contact our local resource and referral agent at the following:

Call: XXX-XXX-XXXX

Email: example@yourdistrict.edu

QR Code

Private

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When can my child start TK ?

Can start TK in school year

2023-2024

Students born between�Sep 2, 2018 and Apr 2, 2019

Your child can start Transitional Kindergarten (TK) at the beginning of the school year with the following birth dates.

Can start TK in school year

2024-2025

Can start TK in school year

2025-2026

Students born between�Sep 2, 2019 and June 2, 2020

Students born between�Sep 2, 2020 and Sep 1, 2021

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3-years-old

4-years-old

5-years-old

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Attends a full-day California State Preschool Program run by a licensed preschool center

Moves to full-day TK at a local elementary school and attends an on-campus before and afterschool program while his parents work

Ethan

Starts Kindergarten

Cared for by a family childcare provider near her parents’ workplace

Moves to a full-day bilingual TK program at a local elementary school

Olivia

Starts Kindergarten

Attends a private preschool program full time

Mateo

Starts Kindergarten

Moves to TK at a local elementary school and attends an afterschool program run by the local Boys & Girls Club

Cared for by her family members

Attends part-day TK at her local elementary school, then is cared for by her family members when TK is finished for the day

Amelia

TK

Your child's journey to Kindergarten is up to you

Choose the best options that meet your cultural, family, and life needs

By 2025, TK will be available for free to all 4-year-olds in California through the local school system. TK is optional! Families can choose to enroll their child in TK for the next school year when they become eligible. There are a variety of ways to add TK into your child’s early learning journey, including using other UPK programs.

Take Ethan. When he's 3-years-old, he attends a full day CSPP program that's run by a licensed preschool center. When he's 4 he moves to a full day Transitional Kindergarten program at his local elementary school. He attends an on-campus before and after school program while his parents work. And then when he's 5 years old, he starts Kindergarten.

Amelia is cared for by family members until she is 4-years-old, when she moves to a part-time TK program. She is cared for by family after school.

At 3-years-old, Olivia is cared for by a family childcare provider near her parents’ workplace until she begins a full-day dual language TK program when she turns 4.

And then we have Mateo who attends a private PreK program until he is old enough to start TK. He attends after school care at the Boys and Girls program.

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How to enroll in TK

Enrolling for Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is similar to the application and enrollment process for Kindergarten, which may be different from your experience seeking a spot in other types of preschool programs.

�Enrollment packets can be picked up at any participating elementary school, or at our district office, or online on our district website [insert link] or by following the QR code below.

Reach out to us by phone at XXX-XXX-XXXX for any questions about enrolling. You can also ask us about our before and after school options.

QR Code

TK

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Regardless of the UPK program your family chooses, your child should experience an environment where:

Children of all abilities are supported and welcomed
Each child’s culture, race, identity, and language is respected
Educators are ready to support dual language learners and encourage children to use their home language in the classroom
Children are provided joyful learning that sparks their curiosity and sense of belonging
Play-based learning activities are used to build the skills they need to succeed in TK–3^rd Grade subjects

What your child should experience in a UPK program

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California is working to make sure that all UPK classrooms will support children of all abilities, skill levels, and backgrounds by:

Reserving spots in preschool classrooms specifically for children with disabilities, including 10% of all CA State Preschool spots by 2025
Teaching educators about managing normal behavior in young children and how to include children of all abilities in activities
Helping educators give children different ways to show what they’ve learned so they can build on their skills
Ensuring all educators know how to support dual language learners and encourage students to use their home language in the classroom

Supportive and welcoming environments for all children

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As UPK expands, so will the team needed to support these programs.

�Right now is a great time to join the expanding UPK workforce. �Learn more about what job and education opportunities are available on our website:

www.XX.org

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Providers are making plans to create the best options for UPK in our community.
Help us make sure our choices reflect our community and meet your needs.
Visit (here - place to connect) to find out transportation options available.
Visit here to find your local regional center who can connect you with early intervention services for children with disabilities.
Learn what programs are offered in your community.
Visit (here - place to connect) to share your voice.

We Want to Hear From You!

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Reach out and find resources and materials here

(insert Link and QR code to district page )

LEARN MORE