Pre-K Questions

MECK Pre-K is a high quality free pre-K education open to all four-year-old children in Mecklenburg County. Classrooms are located in licensed child development centers and taught by licensed teachers and highly qualified assistant teachers. MECK Pre-K is administered by Smart-Start of Mecklenburg County and funded by Mecklenburg County.

Decades of research have shown that a pre-K education makes a difference in the lives of children and their families. The foundation created in a high quality pre-K program prepares children for the demands of life — not just in the short-term as they succeed in school, but also in the long-term as they grow up, become employed, and contribute to the strength of the community.

Your child will experience growth in the following areas: mathematical and scientific thinking, the joy of learning, social and emotional skills, and language and literacy abilities.

To be eligible for MECK Pre-K, children must live in Mecklenburg County and turn four years old on or before August 31 of the school year they are applying for. Even if you have applied for and/or been waitlisted for child care subsidy or other pre-kindergarten programs, you are eligible for MECK Pre-K.

You can apply by visiting our Online Application on a computer, tablet or smartphone. You can also visit our Enrollment Page for details on the process. If you are unable to apply online, email info@meckprek.org or call 704-943-9585 to schedule an appointment to apply in person.

MECK Pre–K programs are located in high quality licensed child care centers throughout Mecklenburg County. Visit our Locations Page for a list of current locations or contact our office to receive a list by mail.

Every effort is made to place children in the MECK Pre-K location requested by the family. Please visit our online application where you can search for locations near your home or work.

Some locations provide transportation for a nominal fee. Please visit our online application where you can search for locations with transportation.

MECK Pre-K traditionally starts in September using a staggered entry schedule. Staggered entry means that different children have different start dates for the first week.  This allows students to gradually transition into the school environment before the entire class starts. The child’s teacher will notify the parent of the staggered entry date.

Some locations offer before-school and after-school care. Please visit our online application where you can search for locations with before- and after-school care. MECK Pre–K is free of charge, but there may be fees for any care before or after school. Child care subsidy vouchers can be used to pay for before and after care.

MECK Pre-K will begin processing your application as soon as all required documents are completed and submitted. We will notify you as soon as we have confirmed your child’s eligibility. You can check the status of your application by logging into your online application or by contacting MECK Pre-K.

MECK Pre-K is free and is fully funded by Mecklenburg County. As mentioned above, there may be fees for before- or after-care and transportation if available. Child care subsidy vouchers can be used to pay for before and after care.

MECK Pre-K is a 6.5 hours per day program. Schedules for each classroom vary but will include the following: teacher-led small groups to work on specific skills, intentionally designed learning centers that children can choose from, outside physical play, snack time, story times, lunch, quiet time and large group learning through songs, word play and games. Throughout the day, children participate in hands-on activities and interactive learning, based on our enriched curriculum. You can learn more about the pre-K day in this Blog Post: A Day in the Life of a MECK Pre-K Student. 

MECK Pre-K classrooms contain multiple “interest areas,” or “stations,” that contain materials inviting rich engagement.  This is because much of a child’s learning takes place through hands-on activities and interactive learning. You can learn more about the pre-K classroom in this Blog Post: How a Pre-K Classroom is set up to encourage learning. 

Regular attendance is necessary for a child to fully  benefit from the  learning opportunities in MECK Pre-K.  To meet the goals of our program and to be ready for kindergarten, children must attend a full day of school each day. MECK Pre-K provides guidance on illness and absences in its Parent Handbook. You can learn more about the benefits of daily attendance in this Blog Post: Why It’s Important for Your Child to Attend School Every Day.  

MECK Pre-K offers an enriched curriculum based on The Creative Curriculum®, a hands-on, project-based approach to education that incorporates real life experiences into the learning process. MECK Pre-K students spend each day learning, practicing real life skills and expanding their knowledge. Teachers are trained to follow a child’s interests, build on previous knowledge, and provide real world experience based on that knowledge. We enhance that curriculum with activities such as PAC time, which teaches kids phonetic awareness, alphabet knowledge, and the concept of words. You can learn more about the curriculum on our Curriculum Page.  

At the start of the school year, MECK Pre-K teachers conduct a “pre-screening” using the BRIGANCE Early Childhood screening tool, which uses observation, interviews, and child performance to pinpoint understanding in the domains tied to early development and school readiness. You can learn more about the screening process in this Blog Post: What is the Pre-K Screening Process?.

MECK Pre-K teachers must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in early childhood, child development, or related field and have a BK (birth through kindergarten) license or be working toward a BK license. MECK Pre-K teacher assistants must have or be working towards a minimum of an associate’s degree in early childhood education or child development. Interested in teaching for MECK Pre-K? Visit our Teacher Page.

The maximum number of children in a MECK Pre-K classroom is 18. Each class is taught by one teacher and one assistant teacher.

MECK Pre-K teachers and assistant teachers are employees of the child development center, but the qualifications, compensation, and professional development are set by MECK Pre-K. You can learn more about the benefits of being a MECK Pre-K teacher, and the hiring process, on our Careers Page and in this Blog Post: The MECK Pre-K Teacher Hiring Process.