When you are choosing a pre-K program for your child, a big part of your decision is probably based on the childcare center itself. It’s important to know that your child is in a safe, nurturing, healthy environment that is in a good location for your family.
MECK Pre-K is a high quality pre-K program that operates classrooms in licensed childcare centers throughout Mecklenburg County. Just like you want to choose the right center for your child, we want to choose the best centers for our classrooms!
How MECK Pre-K Chooses Centers
So how does MECK Pre-K decide where to locate our pre-K classrooms? We have a very comprehensive process. Here is a high-level overview.
- First, all MECK Pre-K classrooms must be in childcare centers licensed by the State of North Carolina.
- To start the annual selection process, we send an interest letter to all licensed centers that meet our criteria.
- Then, we hold an annual information session for licensed centers that are interested in hosting MECK Pre-K classrooms. In these sessions, we share information about the benefits of MECK Pre-K, our curriculum, our teacher requirements, and the application process.
- Eligible centers complete and submit applications to MECK Pre-K.
- Our Site Selection Committee reviews the applications and selects which centers will host classrooms for the upcoming year.
- All centers, including those already part of MECK Pre-K, complete annual contracts that ensure they are following the MECK Pre-K curriculum and meeting other criteria.
Why Centers Want to be Part of MECK Pre-K
There are a lot of benefits to hosting MECK Pre-K classrooms. Here are just a few.
- MECK Pre-K handles all other aspects of enrollment and placement.
- MECK Pre-K provides teacher support such as professional development, scholarships, weekly visits from Success Coaches and more.
- MECK Pre-K provides family support through our classroom teachers and our Child Development & Family Support team.
- MECK Pre-K provides all the furniture, materials, curricula, and beginning of year consumables for each MPK classroom, reducing overhead costs for hosting centers.
- MECK Pre-K provides a stipend to all centers for field trips.
Best of all, being chosen as a MECK Pre-K site provides recognition that the center meets high standards of education!
About MECK Pre-K
MECK Pre-K is high quality pre-K open to all four-year-old children in Mecklenburg County at no cost to families. Classrooms are located in licensed childcare centers and taught by licensed teachers and highly qualified assistant teachers. You can apply online at MeckPreK.org.
Do you have a child who is not old enough for pre-K this year? Sign up for our email list and be notified when they’re eligible for MECK Pre-K. Simply go to MECKPrek.org/future-meck-pre-k-students and select your child’s age group.