Overview
UPK brings together Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and all existing state preschools and federal early education (including California State Preschools [CSPP] and Head Start), private child care, and expanded learning opportunities, including before and after school programs into the same system.
The graphic below shows a closer look at UPK.
Universal TK or TK expansion is part of UPK, but not the only part. UPK is a mixed delivery system that also includes the California State Preschool Program (CSPP) which the CDE operates, along with other prekindergarten programs serving three- and four-year old children, including federal Head Start Programs, subsidized programs that operate a preschool learning experience and child care programs that are operated by community-based organizations, such as family childcare, and private preschool.
Unlike the other programs however, TKs do not have enrollment caps, and there is no income eligibility.
Statute is very clear that families with four-year old children will have the choice in which prek program to send their four-year old child to if they would like to enroll their children in a PreK program. Just because a child is eligible for TK does not mean that the child has to be enrolled in TK... they could be enrolled in any of the other programs based on parent choice.
