Frequently Asked Questions about Preschool

March 25, 2022

All About NC Pre-K

What is North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten (NC Pre-K)?

NC Pre-K is designed to provide high-quality educational experiences to enhance school readiness for eligible four-year-olds. If your child will be 4 years old by August 31st of 2022, we encourage you to apply.

What’s Three School?

Three School, funded by Smart Start, is a One Place program designed to provide high-quality educational experiences to enhance school readiness for eligible three-year-olds. If your child will be 3 years old by August 31st of 2022—and if you are working or currently enrolled in school—we encourage you to apply.

Are NC Pre-K and Three School teachers qualified?

Yes! NC Pre-K and Three School teachers are professionals with degrees in early education or a related area of study. NC Pre-K teachers are required to hold a NC Teaching License.

What is the NC Pre-K curriculum?

The NC Pre-K and Three School Requirements are built upon the North Carolina Foundations for Early Learning and Development. NC Pre-K uses Creative Curriculum, a comprehensive research-based and research-proven curriculum that offers developmentally appropriate programs that extend children’s learning.

Teachers use their knowledge and assessment of individual children to plan the environment and activities to meet the needs of young children. Teachers also conduct regular and ongoing assessments using Teaching Strategies Gold.

What about parental involvement?

Family Engagement is encouraged! All families should feel welcome to visit and participate in different activities throughout the year. Conferences are held three times throughout the year to provide opportunities to share and learn about your child’s development. Teachers conduct ongoing assessments and collect samples of children’s work to show evidence of child progress towards developmental goals and objectives.

What is a day at NC Pre-K like?

All NC Pre-K and Three School classes are 6.5 hours per day. The daily schedule consists of the following:

Child-initiated and teacher-directed activities
Individual, small group, and large group instruction
Active exploration of the indoor and outdoor learning environments
Opportunities for social interaction
Quiet and active periods of play and rest
Access to a wide variety of toys and educational materials
Endless opportunities for exploration and learning

How do I prepare my child for Pre-K?

Before your child’s first day in the classroom, you’ll have an opportunity for a Home Visit. Your entire family will get the chance to meet the teachers, learn more about each other, and ease your child’s transition from home to school. Once enrolled, your child’s teacher will notify you of your child’s home visit date.

Eligibility Requirements

How do I know if my child is eligible?

Eligibility is based on age and income requirements. Your child must be 3 or 4 years old on or before August 31st, 2022. All age-eligible children are welcome to apply.

Are children of military families eligible?

Yes, Eligible 4-year-old children who are the dependent of a member of the United States Armed Forces that was active duty within the past 18 months, injured while serving, or killed while serving, are eligible without regard to income. Determination of child eligibility does not guarantee placement in the NC Pre-K Program. *Three School does not provide an income exception for military families due to funding requirements.

I don’t meet the income requirement. Are there other eligibility criteria?

Yes! A 4-year-old child that has one or more of the following risk factors may be eligible:

Identified developmental disability
Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
An educational need indicated from an approval developmental screening or an existing Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
A chronic health condition as indicated by a diagnosis from a professional healthcare provider

What are the placement criteria?

Participation in NC Pre-K and Three School is based on the allocation of spaces and the child’s priority for placement. Priority is determined for each child based on the following:

Children who are identified to be at greater risk receive higher priority for placement
Children who have received no prior early education services outside the home are higher priority than children who are currently served in early education settings

Application Questions

How do I apply? Do I need to apply online?

The Onslow County online preschool application may be completed on a computer or a mobile device. If you’re using your phone’s “auto-fill” option, please verify all fields contain the correct information so we can get in touch with you easily.

Can I start an application and complete it later?

No. Once you begin the application in ChildPlus you will need to complete it.

How long does it take to complete the application?

On average, the NC Pre-K application takes 30–45 minutes.

What documents do I need on hand to complete the application?

To complete your online application for NC Pre-K, you will need the following documents:

All sources of family income over the past 12 months
Your child’s birth certificate
Your child’s immunization record
Your proof of residence
Parent/guardian proof of identity
Parent/guardian school schedule
Custody documentation

What do I do if I don’t have a scanner to upload documents?

No worries! The NC Pre-K application allows attachments in multiple formats. You can take photographs of your documents and upload those as JPG or JPEG files.

If I don’t have all my documents at the time I complete the application, can I still apply?

Yes, you can still submit an application without uploading all of your documents—but your application will not be processed until all documents have been submitted.

What if my documents won’t upload?

We’re here to help! If you have trouble uploading your documents or completing the application, contact courtney.wandishin@oneplaceonslow.org or (910) 968-2722. One of our staff members will reach out to help you complete your application.

If I completed an online application with Onslow County Schools, do I need to complete one with One Place too?

Nope! OCS and One Place collaborate to provide NC Pre-K to families in Onslow County. Please complete only one application.

After submitting an application, what are the next steps?

A member of our School Readiness Team will contact you if additional information is needed to process your application.

How can I check the status of my application?

We’d be happy to provide an update. Reach out to our team at courtney.wandishin@oneplaceonslow.org or (910) 968-2722.

Questions?

Reach out to us at (910) 968-2722 or email us at courtney.wandishin@oneplaceonslow.org.