7 Steps to Finding the Perfect Preschool

How to Find the Perfect Preschool

Your 7 Step Approach

1. Start Early. It takes time to research different styles of preschools and become familiar with common terms used in preschools. Many parents start this process a year ahead of time, some parents even start while pregnant! Children usually attend preschool for two to three years between the ages of 2.5 and 5 years.

2. Determine what criteria is most important for your child and family. Is it location, faith, type of program offered, language immersion, specialneeds options, year-round program, extended hours, cost? What are the most important factors and options? Rate these so you have a clear picture of where and what programs to focus on and what is the best fit for your child. 3. Utilize local parenting resources. Local parenting magazines and websites, like Parents’ Press, offer lots of preschool information and open house announcements. These will help you to become familiar with what preschools are available in your area and the program options being offered to help with your selection process. Visit preschool websites that look interesting to find out admissions information. More information can also be found at www.ParentsPress.com

4. Askaround. Talk to other parents in your area to see what programs they were part of, and if they would recommend them. Find out what they liked most and least about the school. How long did their child attend? Did they experience any teacher turnover? What was the culture like? How did they handle sick days, potty training and behavioral issues? How involved were the parents in the school? Are the parents and children still in contact with others from the preschool?

5. Tour top choices. Arrange to

take a tour or go to an open house to learn about the school philosophy and the admissions process. Most schools prefer for you to pre-register for these. Have your list of questions ready (see page 20 for Questions to Ask) and observe. Look for signs that the preschool is well run. Also, this is a time that the preschool uses to determine which families will be a good fit for their program. 6. Contact the preschool.

Before you apply, find out the preschool’s admissions schedule and how many openings they will have and how many spots will be reserved for siblings of families already enrolled. If you are concerned that your top choice or choices have way more applicants than spots it would be a wise idea to apply to more than one preschool even though there may be an application fee.

7. Apply to your top choice. You have done your research, established your criteria and taken the tour, now is time to apply to your top choice. Some preschools have ongoing enrollment but most follow the school year format. Acceptance letters go out in the spring for the following fall. Find out from the preschool when you can expect to hear from them, one way or another. It is okay to be persistent and let them know you and your family are interested, but don’t be a pest. If your child is waitlisted get specifics from the preschool. What number on the wait list is your child and does the preschool have a commitment from all returning families? If the school is accepting a total of 15 new children and you are way down on the wait list, it is time to consider another option. 