Free Preschool Opportunities

Milestone Moments Booklet

Click to order your Child's Free Birthday Book

Do you have a child who will be 3 or 4 years old by September 30th?

The Online Registration portal is now accepting applications for Preschool for the 2025-2026 School Year.

 Families, if you are having trouble with Parent Vue contact your school.

• • Do you have a child that will be 3 or 4 years old by September 30, 2025? If yes, Norfolk Public Schools offers free, high-quality preschool for qualifying children ages 3 and 4. NPS Preschool classes are in-person and five days a week. 

    • Preschool children will learn: 
      participate in a classroom community;
      develop social relationships; 
      build self-regulation skills; and 
      build language skills.

  • Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see if you qualify for this important first step in your child’s education because preschool matters! If you have any questions, please email the Department of Early Learning and Title I at preschool@npsk12.com or call us at 757-628-3944. We look forward to hearing from you!
    
    Site Information:
    Districtwide Preschool Sites and Specialty Locations:

    • Berkley/Campostella Early Childhood Centers (3 and 4-year-old preschool classrooms)

    • Easton at Fairlawn (3 and 4-year-old preschool classrooms) 

    • Norfolk Technical Center  (4-year-old preschool classroom)

    • Willoughby (3 and 4-year-old preschool classrooms)

  • Application Information:

    • 1. Create an email account. 

    • 2. Gather the following documents: 

      • Your proof of residency (mortgage or lease/rental agreement in your name, OR an electric, gas, or water bill in your name. Cable and phone bills are not accepted. 

        • *If you are living with someone, you must submit the NPS Shared Housing Form and the mortgage or lease/rental agreement in the name of the resident with whom you are living.

      • Your proof of income (2 recent pay stubs, 2023 W-2, SSI verification, unemployment, child support, etc.) .

        • - If your child lives in a two (2) parent home, both parents must submit proof of income  

        • - All income sources must be reported and verified.

      • Your child’s birth certificate. (Your child must be three or four years old on or before September 30, 2025.)

        • - Proof of Legal Guardianship (if applicable) 

          • *This is only required if your name is not on the child’s birth certificate: 

            • Court ordered custody documents

            • Custody Registration Form (for anyone assigned custody other than the biological parents) 

            • Kinship Care Form (required if an adult relative is providing care to the child without assigned custody)

      • Your child’s physical examination record (within the last 12 months) or appointment card/letter of the upcoming physical doctor’s visit. 

      • Your child’s immunization record - documented proof of adequate immunization with the prescribed number of doses of each vaccine as required by law.  

      • If your child has an individualized education plan (IEP) for specially designed instruction, please provide all the documentation with your application.

    • *Your application cannot be reviewed for acceptance into the program without this information. 

    • If you already have a child in NPS, please login with your ParentVue information/credentials.
      
      If you do not have proof of address, are homeless, or living with family /friends, this will need to be identified on the application.
      
      *If your child has a documented disability, be sure to provide all information including the Individualized Education Plan (IEP). If all documentation is not provided during the application process, it could result in your child being moved to a different program or school which may have different operating hours. If you have any questions regarding your child’s disability-based needs or suspect your child has a disability, please contact the Preschool Assessment Team at 757-852-4630 ext. 3510 or preschoolassessmentteam@nps.k12.va.us.

  •  
    

    ---

    
    Phase I—
    To access the online preschool application, use the Preschool Matters button at the top or bottom of this page. If you already have a child in NPS, you will need to use your ParentVue Credentials to log in.
    *If you do not have access to the Internet, please visit your zoned school or Grandy Village to fill out the online application.
    Please contact the NPS Preschool Registration Help Line at 757-628-3951 for more information and/or email your questions to preschool@nps.k12.va.us.
    When your application is received, the Department of Early Learning & Title I will send an email of receipt to the email address you have provided on the application.

    Phase II—
    Once you have submitted a completed application, the Department of Early Learning & Title I will review your application for eligibility into the preschool program. The preschool programs are state and/or federally grant-funded and must follow specific enrollment criteria. Therefore, acceptance into the NPS preschool program is based, in part, upon the following requirements: 

    • Residency: You must provide proof that you and your child are residents of the city of Norfolk.

    • Age: Your child must be age 3 or 4 by September 30th of the school year you are applying to enroll.

    • Program-related eligibility criteria: 

      • The funds that support our preschool programs have various criteria that are taken into consideration before offering acceptance to any student including income. Therefore, income verification must be provided for the application to be reviewed for acceptance. For our 3-year-old classes, students must live in a Title I school zone to be accepted (see the Title I section for a list of schools) unless otherwise notified by the Early Learning and Title I Department.

    • In addition, eligible students are selected based on the following VPI eligibility criteria and identified risk factors:

      • - Having low family income (based on Federal Poverty Guidelines);

      • - Having a parent who did not complete high school;

      • - Lacking fixed, regular, or adequate housing (homelessness); and/or

      • - Having an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for the child while falling in a qualifying family income bracket—the IEP team will determine if this general education classroom is the most appropriate setting.

    • Other factors are also considered but have lower risk values.

    • If your child is eligible for one of the preschool programs, an email will be sent by the Department of Early Learning and Title I to your email provided on the application to inform you of your eligibility and the next steps for Phase III.
      
      This eligibility email does not guarantee a position in the program. Its purpose is to inform you that your child has met the initial eligibility criteria, and your child has been placed on the waitlist.
      
      Children will be placed in their zoned school following Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) Guidelines. Any request for out-of-zone or other requests will be considered after the start of the school year.

  • Note: The programs are not first-apply, first-accepted.

  • 
    Phase III
    The Department of Early Learning & Title I will send a confirmation email noting receipt of your completed application. This email is to confirm that we have all of the necessary information needed to review your application. Preschool acceptance emails will be sent to families by May 30, 2025. Once you have received the Preschool Acceptance Email, the parent/guardian must complete the registration process at their assigned school. School preschool registration must be after July 1, 2025.
    Preschool Acceptance Email to the email address that you have provided on the preschool application. Once you have received the Preschool Acceptance Email, the parent/guardian must complete the registration process at their assigned school after July 1, 2025.
    *Please monitor your email closely for placement assignments and further directions.
    
    
    Documents needed to be eligible for Preschool:

    • Proof of child's birth (Your child must be three or four years old on or before September 30th)
      Original certified birth certificate, child's passport, or affidavit regarding birth (copies of these documents are not accepted)

    • Proof of legal guardianship (if applicable)
      This is only required if your name is not on the child's birth certificate:

      • - Court-ordered custody documents

      • - Custody Registration Form
          (for anyone assigned custody other than the biological parents)

      • - Kinship Care Form
        (required if an adult relative is providing care for the child without being assigned custody)

    • Parent/Guardian proof of income (If it is a foster care situation, we do not need income verification)
      Because income is a primary qualifying factor, proof of income for all individuals contributing to the family is required to determine eligibility. This could include:

      • 2023 W-2 forms or income tax forms;

      • Social security/disability income;

      • 1099s;

      • Two recent paycheck stubs

      • SNAP/TANF/WIC benefit information

      • Self-employed (tax information)
        
        Note: All income sources must be reported and verified.

  •         4. Proof of Parent/Guardian Norfolk Residency
    Mortgage or lease/rental agreement in your name, OR  an electric, gas, or water bill in your name. Cable and phone bills are not acceptable.
          *If you are living with someone, and you do not have a lease/mortgage and utility bill in your name, you must submit the NPS Shared Housing Form.
    5. A copy of a comprehensive physical examination from a qualified licensed physician or licensed nurse practitioner, performed within the 12 months prior to the date the student enters kindergarten or elementary school. When a physical is completed for first-time entry to kindergarten, the Virginia Form MCH-213G can be used or a similar physical form provided by the healthcare provider. If transferring from another NPS school, school division, or from out of state, a copy of such an examination must be in the previous school’s record and available upon request. The need for a physical examination does not apply to students entering secondary schools.
    Proof of immunizations for all students entering a Virginia public school must reflect the month, day, and year of immunizations. Kindergartners entering school for the first time must have immunizations verified on either a Virginia Form MCH-213G, public health department form, or an immunization document from a qualified licensed physician or licensed nurse practitioner. For your convenience, instructions are available for completing the MCH-213G form.

    • Immunization Records – documented proof of adequate immunization with the prescribed doses of each vaccine as required by Virginia law.

  • 
            6. Individualized Education Program (IEP)
    This would only apply if your child has been found eligible for an IEP.