Family FAQs
Durham PreK Application Process
Durham PreK enrolls children that are 4 years old by August 31st of the school year attending.
In-person application appointments are not currently being scheduled due to COVID-19. Families can call 1-833-773-5338 to schedule a virtual appointment with a bilingual Pre-K Application Counselor.
Until further notice, all pre-K screenings for the 2022-23 school year application will be completed over the phone due to COVID-19.
School year 2022-23 applicants will receive a call within a couple of weeks of submitting the application online, by phone or by mail based on the time preference indicated in your online application.
Calls will likely show up as private because staff are working remotely and are using their personal phones. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
For questions about the online application, families can email prek@childcareservices.org or call 1-833-773-5338. For questions about screenings, families can email durham_prek@dpsnc.net.
Until further notice, all pre-K screenings for the 2022-23 school year application will be completed over the phone due to COVID-19.
School year 2022-23 applicants will receive a call within a couple of weeks of submitting the application online, by phone or by mail based on the time preference indicated in your online application.
Calls will likely show up as private because staff are working remotely and are using their personal phones. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
For questions about the online application, families can email prek@childcareservices.org or call 1-833-773-5338. For questions about screenings, families can email durham_prek@dpsnc.net.
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.
Durham PreK Site Information
Most Durham PreK classrooms follow the Durham Public Schools Traditional Calendar, with the exception of Holt Elementary and Pearsontown Elementary which operate on the Durham Public Schools Year Round Calendar. Both calendars are available under Family Resources.
All sites operate on a 6.5 hour school day, and some sites may offer before and after care. Families will be able to indicate their location preferences during the application appointment.
All available information on before and after care hours and fees for the 2022-2023 school year are posted on the Site Locations page. These lists will be updated as more information becomes available. These hours and fees are subject to change, so we encourage families to reach out to their child’s site directly after referencing our website.
You may find it helpful to contact the director of that facility for a tour before deciding on a placement offer. If for any reason you do not wish to accept placement at a particular location, you may ask to remain on the waiting list for other programs. If toward the end of the placement process unfilled seats remain in a preferred facility, you may be contacted about placement, though there is never a guarantee of a second offer or a preferred placement.
At this time, Durham PreK only serves 4-year-olds. However, please visit our Family Resources page for assistance in finding child care for your younger children.
Durham PreK sites are located around Durham County. You can view a map of all of the Durham PreK sites here. Families will be able to indicate their location preferences during the application appointment to be considered during placement.
Care outside the preschool day is called Wrap Around Care. Wrap Around Care is a separate service from preschool and is neither guaranteed at every facility nor free. Individual preschool providers will determine whether they have the staffing to host Wrap Around Care and for what hours. Families should ask the facility where they are placed whether Wrap Around Care is an option and, if so, make Wrap Around Care arrangements with that facility.
DSS Vouchers and CCSA Scholarships can sometimes help to cover Wrap Around Care costs for qualifying families, but eligibility for these services is not guaranteed or universally applicable to all types of preschool. For more information about CCSA Scholarships or to see if you may be eligible, please call 919-403-6950 and ask to speak to the next available scholarship counselor.
All available information on before and after care hours and fees for the 2022-2023 school year are posted on the Site Locations page. These lists will be updated as more information becomes available. These hours and fees are subject to change, so we encourage families to reach out to their child’s site directly after referencing our website.
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!
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.