Families

The Durham PreK Governance Committee voted to increase the Federal Poverty Level where parent fees start from 400% to 450% starting with the 2026-2027 school year. The parent fee rate continues to be 2% of a gross household monthly income.  

Parent fees are monthly payments made by families to their child’s pre-K site. They are calculated by household annual income and household size based on the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Families whose household income is greater than 450% of the FPL qualify for a monthly parent fee that is 2% of their monthly income (view the estimated parent fee table).

Parent fees contribute to the monthly payments that sites receive from the Durham PreK Partners. Sites participating in Durham PreK receive $1456/month per child to support high-quality programming. Local, state, and federal funds cover the full $1456/month for families under 450% of the FPL. Families who qualify for parent fees contribute to the total $1456 paid to pre-K sites within Durham PreK. For example, a family whose parent fee is $300/month pay their fee directly to their child’s Durham PreK site, and Durham PreK pays the remaining $1156 to the pre-K site for that family’s seat. This sliding scale parent fee system allows Durham County to fund more seats for under-resourced families in the community.

If you need to complete an online application for more than one child, please contact the Pre-K Information Desk for assistance at 1-833-773-5338 or prek@childcareservices.org.

For families with more than one child eligible for Durham PreK for the same school year:

• The monthly parent fee for the first child will follow the Durham PreK Sliding Scale based on household income and family size.
• For each additional child, the monthly parent fee will be 50% of the parent fee assigned for the first child.

For example, if you have two children sharing an academic year, and your family size and household income indicate a $300 parent fee, then you will pay $300 per month for one child, and $150 per month for the second child.

To determine what your monthly parent fee may be, please see the Durham PreK Sliding Scale below.

Durham PreK classrooms are 5-star rated classrooms, and all lead teachers are required to have or be working toward a Birth to Kindergarten License. These classrooms go through a thorough application process and a non-conflicting committee reviews them before selecting semifinalists. Semifinalists then receive an official Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS©) observation to evaluate the quality of teacher-child interactions, and a site visit to review application materials and plans for family engagement, dual language learners and children with unique needs.

Child citizenship does not determine eligibility. All 4 year old children in Durham County are eligible for all programs, regardless of citizenship status.

Families can choose to leave the citizenship question blank, but it will limit program options for that child to Durham Public Schools, Durham PreK, and Head Start.

What documents are required to complete the application? The application will guide you step-by-step through the required documentation needed to complete your submission. This typically includes:

● Proof of your child’s age
● Proof of Durham County residency
● Documentation of monthly and annual household income

Depending on your responses within the application, you may also need to provide additional documents, such as:

● Proof of military service
● Custody paperwork
● School enrollment information

For a complete list of required documents and detailed explanations, please download the checklist below.

View Checklist (English) (Spanish)

All Durham PreK sites provide high-quality education that supports healthy social-emotional, physical, and academic development. Children will learn positive social behaviors, emotional regulation, and academic concepts through play, inquiry, and other academic activities.

Visit our Why Pre-K page for more information!

Before and After School Care (also known as Wrap Around Care) is a separate service from preschool and is neither guaranteed at every facility nor free. DSS Vouchers and Early Years Scholarships can sometimes help to cover the cost of Before and After School Care for qualifying families. To learn more, watch the videos on our Before and After Care Page.

For more information about Early Years Scholarships or to see if you may be eligible, please call 919-403-6950 and ask to speak to the next available scholarship counselor or send an email to familyscholarship@earlyyearsnc.org.

Visit the Before and After Care page for the hours and fees currently available at pre-K sites for the 2024-25 school year. Hours are subject to change for the 2025-2026 school year. If your child’s placement site does not have hours or fees listed or for further questions about an individual site, we encourage you to contact the site directly.