Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) is California’s statewide plan to give every student a great start! UPK was designed to meet the early education needs of 3 and 4-year-old children and their families. It is an addition to the state’s mixed delivery system and will bring transitional kindergarten (TK), state preschools, licensed family child care settings, family, friend, and neighbor care (unlicensed settings), community programs, and state school environments into the same system for stronger coordination and enhanced support for families.
What’s included in UPK?
UPK was built with a holistic approach to transform California schools and shape long term child outcomes through:
- Access to two free meals each school day for all public education students in TK-12 regardless of income status
- Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation reimbursement for California State Preschool Programs and other subsidized preschool providers
- Expansion of supports for inclusion of more children with disabilities in UPK programs
- New expanded learning opportunities available during the summer and before and after school
- More bilingual UPK programs, and expansion of anti-bias training confronting hate, bigotry, and racism
- Funding to support more districts and schools to work closely with teachers, students, families, and community partners to reduce barriers and increase access to services
- Additional supports for UPK educators and leaders to increase early childhood knowledge and expertise across systems
What are the goals of the UPK program?
- Every child enters the K – 12 school system ready to thrive and succeed
- Every family has access to high quality early education for their 3- and 4-year-olds
- All communities of color and historically marginalized communities have equitable access and choice to select the program that fits their child care needs
- Teachers are supported so they can provide nurturing experiences so that every child may reach their full potential
- Increased number of child care slots for full-day preschool and other settings, including new slots for children with disabilities
- Increased support for home language development and family engagement
What are the benefits of a statewide UPK system?
UPK gives children and families “full-circle support.” Meaning systems are aligned and providers, schools, and educators can fairly address the varied needs of the community. In a full-circle support system, children with all abilities can experience joyful learning that fosters their curiosity and sense of belonging, builds their knowledge, honors their culture, race, language, and identity, and prepares them for their next steps.
The UPK system will expand access to high quality early education programs and create a bridge to elementary schools to ensure successful entry into kindergarten. The skills children acquire in TK programs will give them the strong foundation they need to succeed in their academic careers and beyond. Early education benefits for children include:
- Enhanced critical thinking skills
- Improved engagement and cooperation with others
- Greater proficiency in reading and math
- Increased likelihood of high school graduation
- Higher chances of attending a 4-year college
What is the Transitional Kindergarten (TK) piece of UPK?
TK is a free program for all four-year-old children. Its developmentally appropriate curriculum will encourage academic and social skills development, giving students a foundational boost. Families will not be subject to income qualification checks or immigration status inquiries. Additionally, UPK’s goal is to provide parents with choices and expand before/after school and summer programs, or expanded learning opportunities, so that families have access to a 9- hour minimum of care and education for their children.
What is the timeline for a full UPK rollout?
As one can imagine, aligning existing state and private early education programs across the county takes time and organization. It is a multipronged undertaking that begins with connecting the existing programs and education systems. The current workforce must be made ready to receive and support 3 and 4-year-old children, and facilities must be properly equipped and expanded to support a new demographic of children. Finally, families need to know what UPK is, how it expands their choices, and what the benefits will be. The goal is that all four-year-olds will have access to free TK programs by 2025-2026.
San Bernardino County Resources
For more guidance, visit San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, Early Education and Development’s UPK page. The organization is the county lead for the program and a QSSB partner.
Learn more about current TK/preschool programs in our county:
San Bernardino City Unified School District
Hesperia Unified School District
Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District
Lastly, UPK Families is another resource to discover the types of available preschool programs, who they are for, what they offer, and how to get connected.