PHILADELPHIA – On Thursday, October 20, 2016, Mayor Kenney, members of Philadelphia City Council, state officials, and pre-K providers, gathered at the Columbia North YMCA to formally kick-off enrollment for PHLpreK, Philadelphia’s new locally-funded pre-K program.
Interested families are encouraged to call (844) PHL-PREK (844-745-7735) to apply for one of the 2,000 seats in pre-K classes beginning in January. A representative can help individuals start a PHLpreK application, apply for Child Care Subsidy (CCIS), and see if they may qualify for other publicly-funded pre-K programs like Head Start or Pre-K Counts. The City also unveiled www.PHLpreK.org, a central portal for Philadelphia families with children ages 0-5 in need of resources about publicly-funded, quality childcare and pre-K programs.
“The launch of PHLpreK enrollment is a big day for the City of Philadelphia,” said Mayor Kenney. “It is a testament to Philadelphians’ belief that all of our children deserve a fair start, regardless of what zip code they live in. We have a great deal of work to do as the program ramps up to 6,500 pre-K seats over the next five years, but I couldn’t be more pleased with the progress we’ve made over the last ten months.”
Otis Hackney, the City’s Chief Education Officer, said that 61 providers operating at 78 sites have been vetted and pre-qualified by the City to participate in PHLpreK. These programs have been referred to an intermediary organization for contracting. Families should keep in mind that pre-qualified providers are still going through a contracting process, which is expected to be complete next month. Only when the provider has completed this process will they be guaranteed PHLpreK seats, therefore, PHLpreK applicants should consider several programs that are a good fit for their family.
The City selected Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) and Urban Affairs Coalition (UAC) to jointly serve as the intermediary. In addition to vetting and contracting with the pre-qualified providers, PHMC will help PHLpreK providers meet their benchmarks and issue corresponding progress reports. They will also provide data management support for providers which is especially important to blending funding. UAC will provide back-office technical assistance to pre-K providers, such as HR support, benefits administration, accounting, payroll management, bookkeeping, grants management, bulk purchasing, and audit compliance.
In a joint statement, PHMC and UAC officials said, “PHMC and Urban Affairs Coalition are proud to partner in delivering high-quality fiscal intermediary services on behalf of the City’s pre-kindergarten initiative. This partnership leverages PHMC and UAC’s strength as intermediary agencies and fiscal agents, PHMC’s in-depth early childhood education experience and UAC’s vast network of minority-run agencies and community-based enterprises.”
Pre-K providers, large and small, shared their enthusiasm for PHLpreK. The School District of Philadelphia, the largest provider of pre-K in the city, is among those who will be a part of the new initiative.
“We are pleased that the School District of Philadelphia will be able to offer quality pre-K programs to more students through Mayor Kenney’s plan,” said Superintendent Dr. William Hite. “Children who receive a quality pre-K education are better prepared to succeed in school, receiving the necessary tools to learn and thrive in kindergarten and primary school, graduate from high school, and earn a decent living. We are proud to partner with the city on this important initiative and look forward to the enrollment of our new pre-K students.”
Tanisha Woods, owner of Little Learners Literacy Academy in South Philadelphia, echoed Dr. Hite’s enthusiasm because she believes this program will not only afford her the opportunity to educate more children, but also help her small business grow.
“I am so grateful that the City of Philadelphia understands how important quality pre-K is for children, families, and small businesses like mine. Participating in PHLpreK will enable me to teach children who are currently on a waitlist, while simultaneously growing my business,” said Tanisha.
Council President Darrell L. Clarke, Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, Councilwoman Helen Gym, and Councilman Al Taubenberger were in attendance to lend their support for PHLpreK.
“We already know that early childhood education yields untold dividends. The only new development here is that local governments like Philadelphia are leading the effort to expand pre-K to all children in America, no matter where they live or how much their parents or guardians have in the bank,” Council President Clarke said. “This is not a partisan issue, but at the state and federal levels universal pre-K is just a dream because of politics. I am hopeful that the success of PHLpreK convinces our leaders in Harrisburg and in Congress to make real investments toward truly universal pre-K.”
Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, who serves as vice chair of the Education Committee and the Committee on Children and Youth also lauded the effort.
“Research and data inform us that early childhood education is a proven way to break the school to prison pipeline, Councilwoman Reynolds Brown said. “Thus, our City’s unprecedented initiative will disrupt this tragic trend. This new child focused public policy effort is long overdue. Many of our city’s families will be the beneficiaries and our children are the ultimate winners.”