On Thursday, some of Wake County’s youngest students entered classrooms across the county.
Wake ThreeSchool offers free preschool education to eligible three-year-olds. The program began in 2022 with 100 places across the county. The number of places has been increased to 300 this year, with 25 classrooms in operation.
To qualify, families must earn less than 75% of North Carolina’s median household income of $56,000 per year and meet one of the following criteria, including limited English proficiency, a chronic medical condition, or a developmental or educational need.
There are three classrooms for the program at A Safe Place Learning Center in Raleigh.
“This program has opened up a path for him. It is based on my income. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to send him to one of these private Childcare centers for preschool, so this was the best way for him to really start with a good foundation,” said Alexis Jones, whose son Antwan attends the ThreeSchool program.
Early childhood education has been shown to give children a boost. It is also a boost for parents who are looking for childcare alongside their work.
According to child care network WeeCare, the average cost of daycare in North Carolina is about $9,480 per year. These costs force many parents to stay at home.
Many students could benefit from the program. Organizers say that of the estimated 3,300 children eligible for the program, 900 eligible applications have been received.
Wake County officials on Thursday pushed for local businesses to invest in the program, saying if they could invest an additional $10 million, they could help every low-income 3-year-old in the county.
