Free Public Pre-K Program in Jersey City

Jersey City has a great list of programs for Pre-K that are free and can be accessed easily. Read-on our blog to know more!

As parents, most of us go through the process of choosing a daycare or pre-school for our little ones. If you are looking for more information about the Free Public Pre-K Program in Jersey City, you’ve come to the right place! Jersey City Public Schools have a Free Pre-K Program for residents in Jersey City, and parents who have a child who will be 3 years on or before October 1, 2019, have a few options available:

Contracted Childcare Centers: Jersey City Free Pre-K Program

The Contracted Childcare Centers will begin registration for the Pre-K three-year-old program in March for the 2020-2021 school year. Each center continues to register until their program is full. Contact the Contracted Childcare Center directly for the registration dates and times.

Jersey City Public Schools

Families living in the school area of P.S. #3, #5, #16, #23, #24, #33, #37, or #39 may register at their neighborhood public school. Registration for the 2019-2020 school year is from March 1 – March 29, 2020, from 9:00 am – 11:00 am. Sibling Preference applications are available at your neighborhood school. They must be submitted by March 29, 2020. To find your assigned school, call 201-915-6111 or 201-915-6201.

Jersey City Free Pre-K Program Information

Parents who have a child who will be 4 years of age on or before October 1, 2019 can register their child starting in the month of March for the 2019-2020 school year at SuperTots II Educational Center, Inc. For registration times and dates, contact the center directly. All families are also able to register at their neighborhood public school. Registration for the 2019-2021 school year is from March 1 – March 29, 2020, from 9:00 am – 11:00 am.

Sibling Preference applications are available and must be submitted by March 29, 2020.

To-Do List in Order To Register

To register, the Parent/Guardian is required to have their photo I.D. to enter the building. Also make sure you bring the original, as well as a copy of the following:

Child’s original birth certificate documenting 3 or 4 years of age on or before October 1, 2019
Two proofs of residency (current telephone bill and utility bill) and a copy of each
Child’s record of immunizations and a copy
Child must accompany parent or guardian at the time of registration
The Department of Early Childhood is committed to providing the 3- and 4-year old children, who are Jersey City residents, with developmentally appropriate preschool experiences.

Their mission is to:
- Provide a learning environment that will help children develop intellectually, socially, physically, and emotionally in a manner appropriate to their age and stage of development.
- Include education on health, nutrition, and social and emotional well being into a daily program of varied activities.
- Enhance children’s feelings of self-worth and appreciation of their own and other’s ethnicity, cultures, and languages.
- Develop social competence by providing opportunities for children to make decisions and solve problems during their school day.
- Ease the transition of children into primary grades by providing appropriate early childhood experiences.
They contract with childcare centers throughout Jersey City to provide classes for most of our three-year-olds, and the majority of our four-year-olds attend classes in the Jersey City Board of Education schools. All classes are small—no more than 15 children—and are staffed with certified Early Childhood professionals and paraprofessionals. They do provide breakfast and lunch for our Preschool students.

If you have questions about our Early Childhood Preschool program, contact their office by calling them at 201-915-6045.

Their Curriculum

We use the High Scope Curriculum which is a research-based, educational approach that emphasizes “active participatory learning.” Active learnings mean students have direct hands-on experiences with people, objects, events, and ideas. Learn about your preschooler’s day through this video that offers a glimpse into our Pre-K classrooms.

Click here for Pre-Kindergarten Registration Information