Monday Marks Deadline To Apply For On My Way Pre-K Pilot Grant

Today is the deadline for families in Allen, Lake, Marion and Vanderburgh counties to apply to On My Way Pre-K, the state’s preschool pilot program.

Indiana’s Family and Social Services Administration will accept applications until 4:30 p.m. EST.

Rachel Morello / StateImpact Indiana

Families in four counties have until 4:30 p.m. to apply for the first wave of the state's pre-k pilot program.

In order to qualify for the first wave of the program, starting in January, families in these four counties must have an income below 127 percent of the federal poverty level – a little more than $30,000 a year for a family of four. Eligible children must be four years old and planning to start kindergarten in August 2015.

Each county’s application is fairly easy to follow, and is available in both English and Spanish. But just in case you’re panicking this close to the finish line, here are some helpful tips provided by the FSSA:

• Child information: Parents must prove their current residency in this section of the application. Suggestions include a copy of a lease, mortgage or utility bill showing a current address, or a copy of a valid Indiana driver’s license.
• In the same section, parents must verify their child’s date of birth, which may include a copy of his or her birth certificate.
• Income Eligibility Verification: Each parents or guardian in the household applying must list all earned gross income from work (income before taxes). If you have no earned or unearned income, the FSSA recommends that you instead explain in the space provided how your family is meeting basic needs such as food and shelter.
• The FSSA also has an income guide available on their website, if you are unsure whether or not your family qualifies.

Should you need more information, contacts for each county are also available at the FSSA’s website.

If more applications are received than there are grants available, awards will be made through a randomized lottery process.

Melanie Brizzi is in charge of the program at the FSSA, and says demand for spots in this program is high.

“We do fully anticipate that the demand is going to exceed the available slots or the available seats,” Brizzi says. “This is a brand new program, so building capacity just takes time.”

Once a child receives a grant, parents may choose from any of the eligible, enrolled On My Way Pre-K programs. The FSSA is still accepting applications from interested providers, and will continue to do so on a rolling basis. Providers must have achieved status as Level 3 or 4 on the state’s Paths to Quality rating system, or be accredited by an approved national or regional body.

The FSSA plans to release a list of eligible providers by the end of the month.

Full implementation of the program, including Jackson County’s pilot and more available spots for children will launch next August.