PHILADELPHIA – In celebration of the start of a new PHLpreK program year, students at a West Philadelphia early education center started their first day with a visit from Mayor Kenney.

The Mayor met students at Wonderspring, an early learning center in Powelton Village. It is one of 180 locations where families can enroll in the city’s free, quality pre-K for three- and four- year olds.

This year PHLpreK is launching with more providers and more seats than at any time since its inception in 2017. With 300 seats added, the program is ready to serve 4,300 students throughout the city.

“Philadelphia families understand that quality pre-K and child care programs promote healthy growth and development, and prepare children for success in school,” said the Mayor. “This expansion will allow all of our great providers to continue to provide free, high-quality learning services to even more children and families in Philadelphia.”

This program year marks the seventh for PHLpreK, which has served more than 13,000 young learners since its inception in 2017.

“The City is privileged to offer—through our network of 180 quality providers such as Wonderspring—a high-level early learning environment for children and families to prepare for kindergarten and elementary school,” said Denise Bermudez, Director of PHLpreK. “Thanks to PHLpreK, these children will be better prepared for schooling, graduating high school in 2038, and beyond.”

Established in 1964, Wonderspring is a non-profit provider of high-quality early childhood education and school-age care. The organization has two childcare centers in Philadelphia, and has offered families PHLprek seats since the 2017-18 school year.

“PHLpreK gives all families an opportunity to have an early learning experience in a high-quality center,” said Zakiyyah Boone, CEO of Wonderspring. “With other income-based funded slots, families in need can fall through the cracks because they don’t quite meet eligibility requirements, but PHLpreK helps to address that issue. This program has been such a lifeline for many families and has prepared dozens of Wonderspring children for kindergarten.”

PHLpreK is the City of Philadelphia’s free, quality pre-K program that gives children a strong foundation for their education. Funded by the Philadelphia Beverage Tax, PHLpreK is helping families across Philadelphia access affordable, quality early childhood education opportunities. To sign up for PHLpreK, interested families can call (844) PHL-PREK or visit PHLpreK.org/programs to find a current provider and enroll.

Photos from today’s event with the Mayor are available on request.