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Child Care

Applications for Tempe PRE open Jan. 16

Posted 1/14/25

Tempe PRE, the city of Tempe’s full-day preschool program, will begin accepting online applications for the upcoming school year at 8 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 16. 

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Child Care

Applications for Tempe PRE open Jan. 16

Posted

Tempe PRE, the city of Tempe’s full-day preschool program, will begin accepting online applications for the upcoming school year at 8 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 16. 

Families who live in Tempe and surrounding cities are encouraged to apply; various tuition options are available and state child care assistance is accepted, a city release explained

Tempe PRE is offered in partnership with the Tempe Elementary School District and is available on eight school campuses. Families can take advantage of a range of benefits, including early childhood education-certified teaching staff, small class sizes and a play-based curriculum, according to the release. 

Preschool classrooms also participate in Quality First, which partners with regulated early childhood providers in Arizona to make quality improvements that help young children thrive. 

In addition, continuous professional development for Tempe PRE staff, such as brain-based approaches to social and emotional learning and best practices for preparing children to read, enhance the classroom experience, the release stated.

Tempe PRE accepts children ages 3 and 4 who are fully potty-trained. Students must turn 3 by July 23, the start of the school year, to be eligible. Families whose children will turn 3 between July 24 and Aug. 31 may still apply and wait for their applications to be processed as children become eligible. 

Tempe offers full-tuition, half-tuition and free options depending on eligibility. Options include: 

  • Full tuition of $850 per month ($870 with extended care): All families who live in Tempe or surrounding cities.
  • Half tuition of $425 per month ($435 with extended care): Tempe families with an income between 200 - 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
  • Free: Tempe families with an income at or below 200% of the FPL.

Tempe PRE, established in 2017, consistently receives high marks from surveyed families, according to the release. Last school year, 99% said they were satisfied with the program, nearly 90% saw academic growth in their child and 93% saw social and emotional growth.

The timeline for processing applications depends on the tuition option selected by families. For children turning 3 by July 23:

  • Applications for free or half tuition will be part of a lottery. The city will randomly select applications for processing beginning Jan. 31; new applications will be pulled for processing every two weeks.   
  • Applications for full tuition are processed as they come into the city.

Tempe PRE accepts child care assistance from the Arizona Department of Economic Security, and families interested in free or half tuition are required to apply for DES assistance at the same time they apply for Tempe PRE. 

Families who do not qualify for DES assistance may still be eligible for financial assistance through the city if they are Tempe residents or through Quality First and meet certain income qualifications. 

Apply starting Jan. 16 here.

Tempe PRE, applications, child care, preschool

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