YMCA of Bucks County - Morrisville Child Care Center partners with Pennsbury School District and United Way of Bucks County to offer Pre-K Counts. Pre-K Counts is a grant-funded program through the state of Pennsylvania. It is a FREE Pre-Kindergarten program designed for children that turn 3 or 4 yrs old by September 1 of the school year. Children who are eligible for Kindergarten (5 yrs old prior to 9/1) and children that turn 3 yrs old AFTER 9/1 are not eligible for the program.
Pre-K Counts is designed to be an educational, early childhood program that focuses on building the social, emotional, and cognitive skills of children to prepare them for Kindergarten. The program year runs September-June and consists of 180 school days. You must meet the income guidelines and be a resident of Pennsylvania to apply.
Program eligibility requirements set forth by the State of Pennsylvania:
- The child must reside in the state of Pennsylvania.
- The child's household income must be within 300% of the current year's poverty level, which varies based on family size. For example - a family of four can earn up to $78,000, whereas a family of 6 can earn up to $106,740. Please use this chart to determine if you qualify based on your household size and income.
- The child MUST not turn 5 years old prior to the start of the school year (9/1). Children that turn 5 prior to the start of the school year should be registered for kindergarten at their local school district.
- Children MUST turn 3 or 4 years old PRIOR to the start of the school year. If your child turned 3 after the start of the current school year, they are not eligible until the following year.
Pre-K Counts Program
Children must turn age three prior to September 1 of the academic school year and families must complete an application and submit documentation of need to be accepted to the program. Limited space is available.
Program in session August-June, with select holidays off.
Before & After School Care through Pre-K Counts
Before and after school care for our Pre-K Counts program is available at our Morrisville branch.
Before care: 7AM - start of program
After care: End of program - 5PM
Frequently Asked Questions
My financial income is over the 300% financial guideline limit amount for my household size. Can I still apply for the Pre-K Counts program?
No, the Pre-K Counts program is a grant funded program provided through the Office of Child Development and Early Learning. Since this is a grant funded program, which is free of charge to all participants, we must adhere to the guidelines set forth by OCDEL.
I am over the income limit, can I pay for my child to attend the program?
No, since this is a grant funded program all students MUST meet the financial guideline requirements.
What type of education do the teachers have?
All lead teachers have obtained their Bachelor’s degree in the field of Early Childhood Education, many of which hold a dual degree and are certified to teach both Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education. Assistant teachers have at minimum a CDA, but many hold their associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education.
Is daily attendance mandatory?
A requirement of the Pre-K Counts program is that the child must attend at least 90% of the 180 days of school, meaning a child should not miss more than 18 days during the school year. This ensures that the participants are fully utilizing the program. Exceptions may be made for extenuating circumstances.
My child receives Early Intervention services through an outside organization. Is my child able to receive these services at school?
Yes, we have several outside agencies that visit children in our Pre-K program and provide early intervention services to them during instructional hours
How many students are in each classroom?
Our two Pennsbury classrooms are slotted for 18 students.
Our United Way program has a little more flexibility in class size, as our 62 slots can be distributed across four classrooms. No class will ever exceed 18 students, but can vary from 10-18 depending on the ages of the children.
Am I able to decide which grant program my child participates in?
It will depend on which organization that you apply through. If you submit your application directly to YMCA of Bucks County, once accepted, your child will be placed in one of our four United Way classrooms. If you apply through the Pennsbury school district, once accepted, you will be placed in one of our two Pennsbury classrooms. There are no program or academic differences between the two programs, just the funding source.
Where do I drop off my child's application?
If you are applying directly to YMCA of Bucks County, you can mail or deliver your application to our Morrisville Branch Attn: Angela Cloak, 200 N. Pennsylvania Ave, Morrisville, PA 19067.
All applications for the Pennsbury program MUST be submitted to Walt Disney Elementary School Attn: Laurie Ruffing, 200 Lakeside Drive North, Levittown, PA 19054.
Do I have to reside within Pennsbury School District to apply for the Pennsbury Pre-K Counts Program?
No, both Pennsbury School District and United Way of Bucks Pre-K programs are open to all residents of Pennsylvania. Students from other local districts are invited to apply, but priority is given to Pennsbury residents when applying for the Pennsbury school district program.
Can I apply to more than one location to increase my chances of being accepted?
Yes, you can apply to multiple locations and organizations to increase your child’s chances of obtaining a space in a Pre-K Counts program. Since our organization partners with both United Way of Bucks County and Pennsbury school districts, we will often work together to place children between our two grant programs if the one you applied to is already full. For a full list of grant program participants, see the second page of the Pre-K Counts application.
When will I know if my child is accepted into the program?
Families are notified around June about acceptance into the program. This usually occurs around the same time that the state budget is passed. Teacher and classroom placement is shared with families in the beginning of August.
Where is the Pre-K Counts program located?
Our six Pre-K Counts classrooms are located in our Morrisville location – 200 N Pennsylvania Ave, Morrisville, PA 19067.
Pennsbury School district also has Pre-K Counts classrooms at some of their elementary school locations. The district only places children already four years old in their elementary school locations. Typically, we host one three-year-old classroom and one four-year-old classroom for the Pennsbury school district at our location.
Can I apply if the school year has already started?
Yes, you may apply at any time during the school, as long as your child meets the age and income requirements. If you qualify and there is space available, we will place your child in a classroom. If there are no spaces available, we will place your child on the waitlist.
Is the program a half or full day program?
The Pre-K Counts program is a full day (6 hour) program. Our classroom start times are staggered to allow for a smoother drop off and pickup carline experience. Classes start as early as 8 AM and as late as 9 AM, and end as early as 2 PM or as late as 3 PM. You cannot pick your child’s classroom or hours, as classroom placement depends on the age of the child. We will ask if there are any factors that would impact your ability to arrive at those times, but we cannot guarantee that we can make every requested accommodation depending upon availability.
What if I need additional hours of care?
Some families may find that the hours of their child's class are not long enough and will need additional hours of care. YMCA of Bucks County is proud to offer before and after care for our Pre-K Counts Program. This is a fee based program, but there are options for assistance in paying for this program.
Where is the before & aftercare program located?
The before & aftercare program is hosted at the Morrisville location and utilizes the assistant teachers from the Pre-K Counts families, meaning your child will see familiar friendly faces.
What if I need help paying for before/after care?
YMCA of Bucks County accepts Child Care Works (CCW) Subsidy through the Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC). This is a state subsidy program that families must apply for through the Compass website. ELRC will determine if a family is eligible for the program and determine an affordable weekly copay for the family. CCW will cover the remaining portion of the payment. The waitlist can often be long, so families are encouraged to apply early.
YMCA of Bucks County also proudly offers financial assistance to those who qualify. If families are eligible for CCW subsidy, we do require that they first apply for state subsidy. Once they have applied or can provide evidence that they are not eligible for CCW, families can apply for financial assistance through YMCA of Bucks County.
Is transportation provided?
No, transportation is not provided to or from the program. Families are required to provide transportation to and from school each day.
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