The Charlottesville-Albemarle area early intervention and public preschool programs are currently accepting applications for the 2019-20 school year.
Families who live within Albemarle County and have a child who will be four years old by September 30 may be eligible to enroll in The Bright Stars Program and/or the MACAA Head Start Program. MACAA Head Start also accepts children who will be three years old by September 30.
Those who live within the Charlottesville City limits and have a child who will be three or four years old by September 30 may be eligible to enroll in the Charlottesville City Preschool Program and/or the MACAA Head Start Program.
Enrollment in each of these public preschool programs is need-based, and space is limited; early application is recommended. These programs offer a comprehensive experience for children and their families by providing a high-quality preschool experience and family support.
The Albemarle County Bright Stars Program serves 191 four-year-old children at Agnor-Hurt Elementary, Cale Elementary, Greer Elementary, Red Hill Elementary, Scottsville Elementary, Stone-Robinson Elementary and Woodbrook Elementary. Families living within the Stony Point Elementary school district may participate at Stone-Robinson Elementary. Additionally, 13 children are currently being served in private placements.
The Charlottesville City Preschool Program strives to accommodate children in all six city elementary schools, Burnley-Moran Elementary, Clark Elementary, Greenbrier Elementary, Jackson-Via Elementary, Johnson Elementary and Venable Elementary. Every attempt is made to provide transportation for all children. Currently, the Charlottesville City Preschool Program is able to serve 172 four-year-olds and 60 three-year-olds.
The MACAA Head Start Program currently serves three- and four-year-olds at MACAA’s Park Street location as well as at Agnor-Hurt Elementary, Crozet Elementary, Greer Elementary and Hollymead Elementary.
The joint preschool application and additional information for The Bright Stars Program, the Charlottesville City Preschool Program, and the MACAA Head Start program can be found at:
- Albemarle County Department of Social Services
- Albemarle County Public Schools
- Charlottesville City Preschool Program
- Head Start Preschool Program
This is an exciting time for early childhood education in the Charlottesville-Albemarle area, as the United Way-Thomas Jefferson Area was recently awarded a state-funded $250,000 “Mixed Delivery Grant” on behalf of the Albemarle-Charlottesville community. This program will provide additional space for at-risk children to participate in high-quality preschool, increasing their chance to arrive at kindergarten ready to learn. This project will also use additional funding to pilot integrated financing, a flow of revenue from multiple sources, as a means of sustaining the “Mixed Delivery” model for at-risk children. As one of six localities across the state of Virginia in the December 2018 cohort, and the second time to receive the Mixed Delivery Grant, the Charlottesville-Albemarle Early Education Task Force, a group of public/private partners focused on improving the local early education system, birth to five, is excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.
The Charlottesville-Albemarle area is fortunate to have several high-quality, early intervention preschool programs so that all children enter kindergarten ready!
For more information regarding:
- The Bright Stars Program, contact Carol Fox, Program Coordinator [email protected] or (434) 972-4010
- Charlottesville City Preschool Program, contact Sheila Sparks, Program Coordinator [email protected] or (434) 245-2797
- MACAA Head Start Program, contact Lina Montoya, ERSEA/Data Coordinator [email protected] or (434) 295-3171 ext. 3008
- Mixed Delivery Grant or Early Education Task Force, contact Barbara Hutchinson, Vice President, Community Impact, United Way-TJA (434) 972-1701
The Bright Stars Program’s 2018 Annual Report can be found at: FY2018 Bright Stars Annual Report
The MACAA Head Start Program’s 2018 Annual Report can be found at: FY2018 MACAA Head Start Annual Report
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