If your child is turning three or  four years old in 2022, it’s time to think about 3K or pre-kindergarten. Children born in 2018 and 2019 who live in New York City are eligible to participate in full day, free 3K and pre-kindergarten programs that are offered at ECDC Kaleidoscope.

Early Childhood Development Center Kaleidoscope is an education center created for young children to increase their exposure to the arts, nurture their creative expression, and to build a strong foundation for school readiness and life-long learning.

In our playful environment, children develop a strong kinesthetic awareness of themselves, build social skills, self-esteem, self-expression, and independent thinking.

Early Childhood Development Center Kaleidoscope offers breakfast, lunch, and snacks during the regular day and additional snacks for children that stay for the after school program. We also offer Morning, After school, Enrichment programs, mini camps and a Summer Program for a fee.

3K and Pre-K for All Schedule

Free Pre-K runs from 9:00 am – 3:20 pm Monday-Friday for 180 days during a school year. The preschool closely follows the NYC public school schedule.

Special Education

• Parents who believe their child has special needs can have them evaluated by their local Committee on Pre-School Special Education (CPSE). Let us know if you would like us to assist you in writing a request for your child’s free evaluation.

• If a student is determined to need special services, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be developed by the CPSE and the parent and the student will begin to receive free special services at his/her center.

3K Curriculum

Kaleidoscope incorporates Creative Curriculum for Preschool, Everyday Mathematics curriculum by McGraw Hill, and Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies social studies curriculum for its 3K program

Pre-K Curriculum

Early Childhood Development Center Kaleidoscope incorporates 10 Interdisciplinary Units of Study created by the Division of Early Childhood Education to support student learning in all domains using developmentally appropriate practice. During the year, the units we explore are: Welcome to Pre-K, All About Us, Five Senses, Where We Live, Light, Transportation, Water, Plants, Babies, and Transformation.

How to Apply to 3K and Pre-K for All

The Pre-K application process begins in February and the deadline to apply is March.

The single-application process will allow parents to easily review the City’s high-quality, full-day options in the directory and rank up to 12 choices. Based on the admissions priorities for district schools and NYCEEC, students will receive one offer from the NYCDOE to their highest possible program choice in late April to mid-May. Students will automatically be waitlisted in programs they ranked higher than the program to which they were matched.

Apply Online: To apply online, all you need is an email address. If you do not have access to a computer at home, you may complete an application at a New York City public library location. Access to computers is available with a free library card. To sign up for a library card, you need to provide proof of address. To find a library in your area, call 311.

Apply In Person: Visit your local Family Welcome Center to fill out a paper application.

Apply By Phone: 719-935-2009

The online application will be translated into nine languages, and additional translation services are available over the phone in more than 200 languages.

Families that apply by the deadline will receive offers in late April – mid May.

Students ranking pre-K for All programs on their application will be placed in the programs based on the following structure:

· Priority Group 1: Current students enrolled at the NYCEEC matriculating from other Kaleidoscope's programs

· Priority Group 2: Siblings of current students enrolled at the NYCEEC

· Priority Group 3: Students whose families currently receive social services from the organization operating the NYCEEC

· Priority Group 4: Students speaking a native language other than English that the NYCEEC specializes in serving

· Priority Group 5: All other students

Family Welcome Centers of Brooklyn

1780 Ocean Avenue, 3rd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11230 Districts Served: 17, 18, 22

415 89th Street, 5th Floor Brooklyn, NY 11209 Districts Served: 20, 21

1665 St. Mark's Avenue, Room 116 Brooklyn, NY 11233 Districts Served: 19, 23, 32

29 Fort Greene Place (BE12) Brooklyn, NY 11217 Districts Served: 13, 14, 15, 16

131 Livingston Street, 3rd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 Districts Served: 13, 14, 15, 16

After you receive an offer for Pre-K for All

In order to pre-register for the offer they received, parents must go to the site in person with their child and all required documentation:

• Child’s birth certificate, passport, or Green Card;
• Child’s immunization records;
• Proof of residence (two documents) must be dated within the past 60 days, which will be verified by any two of the following:
• A residential utility bill (gas or electric) in the resident’s name issued by National Grid, Con Edison, or the Long Island Power Authority;
• Documentation or letter on letterhead from a federal, state or local government agency, including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), City Housing Authority, Human Resources Administration (HRA), the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) or an ACS subcontractor indicating the resident’s name and address;
• An original lease agreement, deed, or mortgage statement for the residence;
• A current property tax bill for the residence or a water bill for the residence;
• Official payroll documentation from an employer such as a form submitted for tax withholding purposes or payroll receipt; a letter on the employer’s letterhead will not be accepted.

Looking forward to see you at Kaleidoscope!

More information can be found in the Parent Handbook in the For Families tab.​