Get your kids ready for elementary school! Información en español What is school readiness? In simple terms, school readiness means a child is ready to go to school. Get Kids Ready is a state-funded school readiness initiative that helps 4-year-olds prepare for the transition into a school setting. Through Get Kids Ready, qualified child care providers focus on developing the academic, physical, social-emotional, self-help skills, and much more that kids will need to succeed in school. The state pays child care providers for the time kids spend in Get Kids Ready, making that part of the day free for families. Important Dates By February 15, 2026 – List of child care providers who submitted an intent to participate will be posted to the DCF website By June 2, 2026 – Final list of approved child care providers will be posted and updated on the DCF website July 1, 2026 – Earliest date that a Get Kids Ready program at your child care provider’s program could start for the 2026-27 school year (talk to the child care provider about their program dates) June 30, 2027 – Last possible day for Get Kids Ready programming at your child care provider’s program for the 2026-27 school year (talk to the child care provider about their program dates) Overview of Get Kids Ready for Parents/Caregivers Yearly Program Get Kids Ready will run every year with child care providers offering school readiness programming between July 1 and June 30. Cost The Get Kids Ready program is free to families. Parents cannot be charged for the hours in which their child is in Get Kids Ready school readiness programming. If your family requires care for hours beyond Get Kids Ready, that is not covered under the Get Kids Ready program and would be an additional expense. Child Care Provider Qualifications In order to be an approved Get Kids Ready provider, participating child care providers must: Be in compliance with all legal, financial, and regulatory requirements imposed by law or by department rule Provide at least 437 hours of instruction in elementary school readiness per school year Use a curriculum that meets the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards Not have a contract with a school district to provide 4K for the school year in which the provider intends to participate in Get Kids Ready Have Lead Teacher delivering Get Kids Ready instruction with an associate or bachelors’ degree Early Childhood Mixed Delivery System Options* for 4-Year-Olds in Wisconsin Program Description Who is Eligible? Location Oversight Cost to Families Child Care Provide early care and education for children before they begin school, before and after school, and during school breaks. Eligibility varies based on the type of child care program and ages accepted. At centers, family homes, or seasonal day camps. Regulated by Wisconsin’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) Prices vary by provider. Some families are eligible for the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy which helps lower costs. Four-Year-Old Kindergarten (4K) and 4K Community Approaches (4KCA) School districts can choose to offer four-year-old kindergarten (4K) and must make it available to all eligible 4-year-olds if they do. Nearly all Wisconsin school districts offer 4K. A child must be 4 years old on or before September 1 of the school year and reside in a school district that offers the program to be eligible for 4K and 4KCA programs. At a school. Some districts also choose to contract with a community provider (e.g. child care, Head Start) to provide 4K (also known as 4KCA). Overseen by locally elected school boards; administered locally by school districts. Free to families in the school district. School funding comes from a mix of state funds administered by Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and local property tax revenue. Head Start and Early Head Start A federal preschool program that provides early learning, health, nutrition, and family support to eligible children and families. Serves children birth through five if they are in families experiencing poverty; homelessness; or are receiving public assistance; are in foster care; or have special needs. Pregnant women may also be eligible for Early Head Start services. At non-profits, schools, child care providers, community action agencies, home visiting, and other local grantees. Administered by the federal government and supported through DCF’s Head Start State Collaboration Office. Free for eligible families. Funds are provided directly to Head Start grant recipients from the federal Office of Head Start. Get Kids Ready Launching in 2026, a new program for 4-year-olds in child care to get school readiness instruction at their child care provider. Children must be 4 years old on or before September 1 of the school year for which they plan to participate. At participating licensed and certified child care providers. Administered by Wisconsin’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) Free to participating families. Funds are provided directly to participating child care providers from DCF. *Each community and school district may have different options, and we recommend that families reach out to both their community child care providers and their local school district to see what options are available to consider what works best for your family. Eligibility and Application Process Eligibility Requirements A child is eligible to participate if: They are 4-years-old on or before September 1 of the school year they plan to participate The child’s parent or guardian submits an application to participate in the program, on a form prepared by DCF, to a participating provider A participating child care provider has accepted the child’s application to attend Get Kids Ready Application Process Families that want their child to take part in Get Kids Ready will need to submit an application to the participating child care provider. Participating Child Care Providers By February 15 the Department of Children and Families will post on our website a list of all child care providers that intend to participate in Get Kids Ready, contact information, and the number of spaces available. The list of participating providers will be updated in the spring, after Program Eligibility Verification Applications have been submitted and eligibility has been determined. Frequently Asked Questions Please read through the Frequently Asked Questions for more information. Contact Information Still have questions? Please submit a Get Kids Ready Inquiry form.
