Early Childhood Education (ECE)
Early Learning Initiative (ELI)
Preschool Special Education
Kindergarten
Resources
What is Early Childhood Education (ECE)?
ECE are preschool programs that are offered by public schools for 3- and 4-year-old children of income-eligible families.
Age Eligibility:
Children eligible for services under this program must be ages 3, 4 or 5 and not age-eligible for kindergarten. Verification of age needs must be kept on file by the grantee. A birth certificate or another type of identifying credential is needed for age verification. Grantee may keep a copy of the actual documentation or have a staff member sign and certify that a particular document was used for verification.
Income Eligibility:
Appropriate documentation is required to verify family income. Verification must include examination of any of the following: Individual Income Tax Form 1040, W-2 forms, pay stubs, pay envelopes, written statements from employers, or documentation showing current status as recipients of public assistance. Child care vouchers alone are not appropriate documentation.
As required by statute, programs must establish a sliding fee scale and collect fees from families earning more than 100 percent of the federal poverty level. These fees assist school districts in paying part of the costs of comprehensive preschool programs for eligible children, but they are expected to secure additional resources from such sources as: (1) county departments of Job and Family Services, child care subsidy; (2) United Way monies, or other private agency funds; (3) private sector awards or donations; (4) foundation monies; (5) Head Start partnerships; and (6) use of other district money/program tuition. There may be other appropriate funding resources in local communities. As welfare reform has drastically affected the number of parents either in the work force or in training programs, efforts should be made to present families with opportunities for programs that cover these extended hours and days.
Funding
State funding for the Early Childhood Education (entitlement) and Early Childhood Education (formerly public preschool) programs is designated for school districts to provide education and comprehensive services for children of income-eligible families. Children eligible for these services must be at least age 3 and not yet age-eligible for kindergarten. Districts receive funding to serve families up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
To view the federal poverty level guidelines, click here. Children of families with an income at 100 percent or below the federal poverty level attend tuition free. Children of families with an income between 101 and 200 percent of the federal poverty level attend based on a sliding fee scale. Once a program has reached the funded number and if space permits, children of families earning more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level may be served on a tuition-paying basis. A district may self operate or may contract with a Head Start agency, a chartered nonpublic school or a licensed child care provider to provide Early Childhood Education services.
The Ohio Department of Education's Office of Early Learning and School Readiness (OELSR) ensures that all children enrolled in Early Childhood Education and other programs under its jurisdiction are provided quality early learning in a safe environment. Participants are required to achieve quality programming by involving the local community and responding to their needs. In this way, programs focus on the children and the families being served and are culturally sensitive to their unique needs.