New bill allows more toddlers to enroll in preschool

Monterey >> More families on the Peninsula will have the opportunity to send their toddlers to preschool after legislation passed earlier this month that revised the state’s early education requirements. Now, preschool programs across the county are gearing up to enroll even younger children.

Senate Bill 163 was passed on July 2 and became effective immediately, which revised the requirements for the California State Preschool Program. Until June 2027, the program will be able to enroll two year old’s at all participating schools. Income requirements have also been raised, meaning more families now qualify for free early education. The last revision eliminates required proof of employment or enrollment to qualify for the subsidized program.

“By making this opportunity available, for now it would allow us to enroll families that need that special service and not leave anyone out,” said Sonia Jaramillo, program director for the Monterey County Office of Education Head Start program.

The county Office of Education currently serves around 700 three and four year old’s through its Head Start and California State School Program. Because of the revisions, the county will begin accepting two year old’s immediately.

Jaramillo advises families with toddlers to call the office or visit the school sites if they wish to enroll because “this is the time. They need to go now. We still have space at some of the sites.”

Located on Hartnell College’s East Campus, the Discovery Academy is accepting applications for its first academic year this fall. (Andrea Valadez – Monterey Herald)

Education for two year old’s doesn’t look too different from what children will encounter in transitional kindergarten or kindergarten itself, according to Tia Robinson, coordinator for the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District’s Early Childhood Education.

The main priorities when teaching two year old’s are building social and emotional skills and motor skills, according to Robinson. Through the integration of younger students, SB 163 will “help us be able to serve the mass majority of early childhood students.”

Monterey Peninsula Unified plans to add and expand classrooms to accommodate its new learners. By welcoming more families into the classroom, early education “encourages them to be a part of the district early on so families are able to get involved with the district’s programs,” said Robinson.

Children are eligible for the California State Preschool Program if the family income level is at or below 100% of the state median income of $84,818 for a family of two. The requirement has been raised by $400, meaning more families will now qualify for the free preschool program. This change is “good for families but it’s not good enough because we still have families that miss that qualification by a few dollars,” said Jaramillo.

In addition to the free program, Monterey Peninsula Unified also offers fee-based programs at its four preschool locations: Monterey, Seaside and Marina Childhood Development Centers and the Dual Language Academy of the Monterey Peninsula. The program is $850 per month for community members and $590 for district employees. During the half and full-day classes, the curriculum is geared toward creating a seamless transition to kindergarten through social-emotional skill building, language development, multicultural education, music, arts and crafts.

A study done by the Public Policy Institute of California showed slightly negative social-emotional learning outcomes for multilingual students. The institute suggested inclusive programming for these students, which Head Start does, with many of its instructors being fluent in Spanish.

A main focus of the Head Start program is “prepping the kids for science component requirements for the 21st century,” said Jaramillo. The county’s Discovery Academy, which is accepting applications for its first cohort now, has a focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Students will also have access to guitar and folkloric dance instructors. It’s important to “provide services for the whole child,” said Jaramillo.

The increasing need for early learning for two year old’s is likely due to parents simply needing childcare during the day, according to Robinson and Jaramillo.

Robinson said she mostly hears from parents that they need childcare while they’re working or going to school, so having their kids building their social and emotional developmental skills while being looked after is a plus.

“The need for families to have two heads of household working (is high) which triggers a need for childcare,” said Jaramillo. She also said parents have expressed a need for full-day services, so Head Start will now be offering six and nine-hour school days, providing parents with flexibility.

For more information on enrollment eligibility, visit: https://www.montereycoe.org/divisions-services/early-learning-program/enrollment-eligibility and  https://preschool.mpusd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=3865321&type=d&pREC_ID=2476914.