��������

Use effective strategies and actions to make families aware of the availability of early childhood education programs in their communities and the eligibility of their children. The outreach efforts should also focus on informing families about the crucial importance of education at an early age. Strategies and links to associated tools and resources can be found below.

Use Targeted Messaging

Create flyers, posters, or using social media to reach families and community members. 

Partner with Primary Care Providers

Partner with local primary care providers to have them support the prekindergarten awareness effort. Discussing the importance of prekindergarten can be a part of the well-check process. 

Use an Effective Media Campaign

Implement a media campaign that involves TV and radio spots as well as social media. Insert promotional/information ads in local newspapers, district and campus newsletters, utility bills, and bumper stickers.

Position Parents as Resources

Promote parent-to-parent sharing of experiences about prekindergarten education through PTO/PTA meetings, informal social events, testimonial videos, and/or home visits. Recruit a group of current and/or past prekindergarten parents who could help with outreach efforts. Provide badges that they can wear during prekindergarten events to help promote the program. 

Provide clear and simple information to families to help them increase their knowledge and skills regarding their children's development and their role in the process. Strategies and links to associated tools and resources can be found below.

Highlight Developmental/Parenting Tips

Provide tips for families about child development and learning via newsletters, posters, and/or social media. Small tips can help families become aware of where their child falls on the developmental continuum. 

Host Family Workshops

Provide bilingual workshops on topics such as: Health and Wellness, How Play Connects to Learning, Developmentally-Appropriate Activities for Young Children, Family Engagement, etc. Empower parents to lead workshops with other parents and/or to provide coaching to other parents.

Provide School Tours

Provide school tours (during the school day) throughout the year to prospective parents. This will allow them to get a firsthand look at the school and prekindergarten classrooms. 

Host a Pre-k Event Day

Host a fair-type event at one of your sites to allow families to experience not only the elements of learning in prekindergarten, but also the features of a school.

Use Online Platforms and/or Social Media

Develop a blog where parents can publish their testimonials about their positive experiences in prekindergarten education. Use social media outlets to expose parents to developmental learning tips and/or any of the strategies listed above. 

Simplify the steps involved in the registration process to make it easier for parents to enroll their children in high-quality prekindergarten programs. Strategies and links to associated tools and resources can be found below.

Provide Family-Friendly Registration Information

Ensure that your registration process communicated clearly to families through websites, flyers, on at the school itself.

Offer Registration Support Packets

Provide registration packets for your campuses/sites/schools to use during their registration days. Include a flow chart of the process and tips such as: greet/welcome families with a smile, provide books/activities that young children can do while parents are filling out documents, etc.

Host an Official Pre-k Orientation Day

Host a prekindergarten orientation day that families can attend on their prospective campus. On this day, families can learn about the school, the prekindergarten program offered, meet teachers, and/or take a tour of the school. Include a registration table if possible.

Use Effective Outreach and Marketing

Promote registration throughout your district: website, administrative offices, campus banners/marquees, flyers, posters, and/or social media. Don't limit your marketing to only campuses that have prekindergarten programs. Work with community and city agencies to advertise prekindergarten registration throughout the community. Advertise registration through local news and radio stations.

Position Parents as Resources

Expand the reach of the enrollment office by creating a Prekindergarten Parent Ambassador group. This group of parents can help new parents during registration events and/or act as mentors of the new enrollees.

Focus on identifying and addressing the specific challenges that may prevent families from enrolling their children in prekindergarten. Strategies and links to associated tools and resources can be found below.

Identify Barriers and Challenges

Determine the specific barriers and challenges in your own district/charter through surveys and/or focus groups. Use this information to focus your efforts on eliminating barriers specific to your community.

Facilitate Transportation

Find creative solutions to get children to school such as vans, school buses, or a walking school bus where a group of trained parents take turns walking children to and from school in a group.

Offer Enrichment Activities

Review your prekindergarten school day schedule. Is it in line with other elementary grade levels? If not, consider offering enrichment activities before or after school to make up for the time so that families can pick up all their children at once. Investigate community volunteer groups that may be willing to offer enrichment activities (i.e. art, dance, makerspace, STEM learning, gardening, and/or storytelling).

Provide Before and After School Care

Offer child care on site to accommodate family work schedules that do not align with school day. Investigate partnerships with community agencies that may be able to provide child care on site. 

Partner with Child Development Centers

Partner with child development centers in your community to provide more before and after school care options for families. Contact the �������� Early Childhood Education Division for more information on how to begin a partnership at (512) 463-8967.

Build Relationships 

Engage in relationship-building activities throughout the community prior to enrollment. Participate in community events, particularly those catered to families of young children, to meet prospective families and showcase your prekindergarten program. 

Use families and other community members as ambassadors for the prekindergarten program. They represent a very broad source of experiences and knowledge that can support all the aspects of increasing prekindergarten enrollment. Strategies and links to associated tools and resources can be found below.

Use Parent Ambassadors

Recruit current or former parents/families of prekindergarten children who would be willing to help with outreach in the community. Among their many possible outreach support roles, parent ambassadors can provide neighborhood walks, linguistic support, registration help, shared experiences, and/or facilitate workshops for other parents. 

Build Community Partnerships

Reach out to your community and create a Prekindergarten Community Partnership Group. This group can serve as another voice for your district/charter's prekindergarten program. It can help with outreach, registration, access, family education, and even providing space and support for prekindergarten events.