Head Start is federally-funded pre-k for 3- and 4-year-olds, offering free tuition for families at or below 100% of poverty. Classrooms are located in public schools and other community sites.
Certain factors may give a family priority for Head Start. In these situations, income is not used to determine eligibility.
Head Start assigns schools based on a family’s location.
Great Start Readiness Program is state-funded pre-k for 4-year-olds, offering free tuition for families at 101% to 250% of poverty. Additional non-income factors may be considered. Classrooms are located in public schools and private childcare centers.
Find a list of participating programs by visiting the KRESA GSRP Program page.
Kalamazoo County Ready 4s works with private pre-k programs for 3- and 4-year-olds, offering support to eligible families who do not qualify for other assistance (such as Head Start or GSRP), living between 100-150% of the federal poverty level (3-year-olds), or 251-400% of the federal poverty level (4-year-olds). Classrooms are located in childcare centers, public and private schools, and licensed home daycare programs.
Families must reside in Kalamazoo County (for Head Start and KC Ready 4s) or one of the school districts supported by Kalamazoo RESA (for GSRP – Climax-Scotts, Comstock, Galesburg-Augusta, Gull Lake, Kalamazoo, Parchment, Portage, Schoolcraft or Vicksburg).
If your child is currently enrolled in a program participating with KC Ready 4s, your program director may also have information for you. KC Ready 4s’ tuition assistance is made possible by support from local foundations, businesses and individuals. We are able to offer tuition assistance to qualifying families once we have received commitments from these generous donors. Until then, there is no guarantee of tuition assistance from KC Ready 4s.
3-year-olds: Full day tuition assistance is provided for 6.5 hours/day, 5 days/week, for 33 weeks. Tuition assistance through KC Ready 4s for the 3-year-old program is limited and is not guaranteed because we are dependent upon available funding awarded through grants and local donors. Children must be 3-years-old on or before December 1 of the current school year.
4-year-olds: Partial tuition assistance is based on family income following a sliding fee scale. Tuition assistance through KC Ready 4s is not guaranteed because we are dependent upon available funding awarded through grants and local investors. Children must be 4-years-old on or before December 1 of the current school year. Per State of Michigan guidelines, GSRP must prioritize enrollment for children who are 4-years-old on or before September 1 of the current school year.
