Get Kids Ready Requirement for 437 Hours of Instruction Información en español Child care programs must provide at least 437 hours of instruction in elementary school readiness to children participating in Get Kids Ready between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027. Program Schedule Verification During the Program Eligibility Verification Application, child care providers will upload a schedule showing at least 437 hours of Get Kids Ready instruction between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027. DCF does not need to see a daily lesson plan or classroom schedule. The schedule child care providers should upload during the Program Eligibility Verification Application should instead show an overview of how the program intends to reach 437 hours of instruction for the upcoming school year. View sample schedules and an optional template to use during upload. Note: When uploading your schedules to the Child Care Provider Portal, you will need to export them to PDF. If those schedules change after the Program Eligibility Verification Application, child care providers will have the opportunity to upload a new or different schedule during each Payment Application. Program Schedule Development Program Schedule vs Daily Schedules The schedule child care providers should upload during the Program Eligibility Verification Application does not need to be a schedule that shows what a day will look like, hour-by-hour, instead it show an overview of how the program intends to reach 437 hours of instruction for the upcoming school year. View sample schedules and an optional template to see examples of what DCF is looking for. Multiple Classrooms or Shifts Child care programs can offer different hours or days of instruction for different classrooms. In the Program Eligibility Verification Application, child care providers will be asked to upload a schedule showing how they will provide at least 437 hours of Get Kids Ready Instruction. The system will allow you to upload more than one schedule, or they can put multiple schedules into one document and upload them together. Note: The children in each classroom need to be enrolled with the intent to attend 437 hours of instruction offered in their specific classroom and a child cannot be counted more than once per child care location. Planning for Unexpected Closures Unexpected closures, such as for inclement weather, do not count toward the required 437 hours of Get Kids Ready instruction per school year. Providers are encouraged to build additional hours beyond the required 437 hours into their Get Kids Ready schedule to account for unexpected closures or other schedule disruptions. However, child care providers should also be aware that payments are based on child enrollment and spread out across four Service Periods, covering the whole school year. This means that child care providers will not be paid more or less than the per-child amount for each service period, regardless of how many hours over the 437-hour requirement they provide. Resources For further assistance with developing a schedule, submit a WEESSN Advice on the Go form. Additional supports may be available through WEESSN and can be found on the WEESSN website. Child Attendance A child must be enrolled in a schedule that allows them to reach at least 437 hours. We understand that children may miss some days due to illness or family vacations. As long as the child is enrolled and attends most of the time, occasional absences are okay. Note: A child that enrolls at the child care provider mid-way through the Get Kids Ready school year can be considered enrolled for the relevant Service Period as long as they are enrolled with the intent to attend all Get Kids Ready instruction and meet the other criteria listed above. Example 1: 2 hours of instruction per day Full-time child (5 days per week):2 hours/day × 5 days/week = about 480 hours per year= Eligible Part-time child (3 days per week):2 hours/day × 3 days/week = about 290 hours per year= Not EligibleThis child could never reach 437 hours based on their schedule. Example 2: 4 hours of instruction per day Full-time child (5 days per week):4 hours/day × 5 days/week = about 960 hours per year= Eligible Part-time child (3 days per week):4 hours/day × 3 days/week = about 575 hours per year= EligibleEven though the child is part time, their schedule allows them to reach more than 437 hours. 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. Return to Get Kids Ready webpage for child care providers.
