Richmond, Virginia (WWBT) – Work is underway to determine how much it will cost the City of Richmond to offer Universal Preschool.
In 2022, Mayor Reval Stoney announced an idea to provide free or low-cost school preparation for children ages 3 and 4 who need to be ready for kindergarten for their families. The city’s Office of Children and Families says only families below a certain income will benefit from subsidized preschool programs. More than half of RPS kindergarten children do not benefit from these programs.
“It’s really multigenerational,” said Eva Koren of the Department of Children and Families. “On the one hand, we know that high-quality early learning experiences are absolutely essential to an individual’s entire life trajectory. By the time you blow out the candles on your fifth birthday cake, 90% of your brain is Fully developed.”
Stoney said it could be a public-private partnership to kick off the program.
The city is now asking these providers to complete their studies by January 13 and hopes to have cost estimates before the end of the year.
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