Apply to Boston Pre-K

Step 1: Make sure your child meets the eligibility criteria for Boston Pre-K

A child is eligible for Boston Pre-K if they are:

•  3 or 4 years old by September 1 of the school year they are applying to
  
  
• Resident of the City of Boston

Additional considerations: 

• Priority Registration: Families already enrolled at a Boston Pre-K CBO, FCC, or Independent School providers have priority registration for Boston Pre-K seats at their current sites. Priority Registration is open from November 15 to January 6. If you qualify for Priority Registration, please contact your current provider. They will guide you through the steps to submit your Priority Registration application.

• ABCD Head Start: ABCD Head Start programs have additional income restrictions and won’t appear in the Boston Pre-K application. To apply for a seat at an ABCD Head Start program, please visit one of the following locations: Walnut Grove, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, or Allston. They will conduct a screening to determine your eligibility. If you qualify for a Boston Pre-K seat at one of these locations, they will guide you through the application process.

• Horizons for Homeless Children: Horizons for Homeless Children’s mission is to support families experiencing homelessness or needing stable housing. If you select/selected Horizons for Homeless Children as an option in your application, you will be contacted by the program to ensure your family meets the program’s eligibility criteria. 

• Specialized Services: Screenings, evaluations, and services offered may vary by setting. If your child has an IEP, the Boston Pre-K team will contact you after you submit your application to ensure the program you applied to can serve your child's needs

• Boston Public Schools: BPS uses a home-based assignment plan to determine the schools available to your family. This plan uses your home address to create a personalized list of quality schools for which you are eligible. If a school does not appear on your list, you are not eligible to apply to that school. Learn more about the BPS assignment plan. 

Step 2: Identify the programs you are interested in

Visit boston.explore.avela.org to explore all the programs in the city that offer Boston Pre-K seats. Be sure to click on the "Filter" option and select "Boston Pre-K" to see only the programs that provide these seats.

Not sure which type of program is best for your family? Check out this comparison table to learn about the differences between settings like Boston Public Schools, Family Child Care, and Independent Schools.

If your child has specialized education needs, you can also use this resource to understand how each program may support them.

Step 3: Apply

For the school year 2025-2026 there will be two application processes, both opening on January 6, 2025:

• Boston Public Schools. Apply here. Learn more about the registration process at BPS here. 
• Community Providers. Apply here

A family can choose to apply to one, or both. A family will need to fill out each application separately if they want to be considered for both.  Please note that if a family chooses to apply to both a community provider and a Boston Public School, they may receive separate offers for each. Accepting or registering for one offer does not affect eligibility or placement for the other, provided both options are available.

The dates and registration processes for each school setting can be seen below: 

Priority Registration for Community Providers

Families who are already enrolled at a Boston Pre-K CBO, FCC, or Independent School provider and want to remain at their current site will have priority registration. 

Priority Registration is open from November 15 to January 6. 

If you qualify for Priority Registration, please contact your current provider. They will guide you through the steps to submit your Priority Registration application.

Contact

If you have questions about the registration process at Community-Based Organizations, Family Child Care, and Independent Schools, you may contact the Boston Pre-K Office with any questions at 617-635-1507 or bostonprek@bostonpublicschools.org. Translation options are available upon request.

If you have questions about the registration process at Boston Public Schools, you may contact Boston Public Schools, Welcome Services, with any questions at 617-635-9010. Translation options are available upon request.