Children four years old on or before September 1, 2025, are eligible CPS full-day and half-day preschool programs. Children three years old on or before September 1, 2025, are eligible for CPS half-day programs. CPS has limited space in half-day programming for 3-year-olds.

Community-Based Programs have options for pregnant moms, infants, toddlers, and preschoolers up to age 5. Additional eligibility criteria may apply to Community-Based Programs offering services throughout the City.

Every child from birth to five can attend an early learning program. Chicago has programs for infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children. There are also free doula programs available for pregnant mothers through the Department of Family Support Services.

Early education professionals at every Chicago Early Learning program meet your child where they are in their educational development — tailoring instruction for your child so they’re more than prepared for Kindergarten.

We encourage you to reach out to your top early learning program choices to ask them questions, book a time to tour their program, and discuss your concerns with their staff directly.

In general, Chicago Early Learning Preschool programs are for Chicago residents. Certain Community-Based Programs may take some children who reside outside the City of Chicago. Contact your preferred Community-Based Program directly for more information. Families applying to a Chicago Public School must be a resident of Chicago.

No, the preschool application will never ask you or anyone in your family for proof of citizenship.

Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) funding is provided by the state to ensure low-income working parents have access to full-day care. Many Community-Based Early Learning Programs have reserved slots for low-income working families who qualify for CCAP. CCAP does not apply to CPS schools. Contact a provider directly to answer more specific questions about eligibility, verification, and associated co-pays. Learn more about CCAP here.

Chicago Early Learning programs prioritize enrollment based on children with the highest need first. The greater the need, the greater the chances are that a child will get into their top program choice. 

CPS Pre-K Programs consider the following priority factors:

• Socio-economic factors including children in foster care, temporary living situations (STLS), or family income at or below 100% of FPL.
• Siblings in grades K-8 at the same school.
• Applying to attend the student’s kindergarten attendance area school.
• Proximity within a 1.5-mile radius of the school or CPS Early Learning Center.
  
  

Community-Based Early Learning Programs consider the following priority factors:

• Ages served vary by program. Check your preferred program for age criteria.
• Lower-income families are ranked above higher-income families.
• Children who are categorically eligible (homeless children, foster children, children from families receiving SSI or TANF) are treated as if they have zero income.
  
  

Please note that you will be asked to provide proof of income and address. If your income or housing status differs from what you reported in the application, you may be at risk of losing your offer.

Yes. Your child will receive priority consideration for their neighborhood program; however, we cannot guarantee that your child will receive a Pre-K seat.

Although we cannot guarantee that siblings will be placed at the same program, we will make every effort to keep siblings of the same age together. Unfortunately, factors such as space, age, and individual needs may prevent us from ensuring placement with siblings.

Chicago Early Learning offers high-quality early education programs, including options for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Preschool is more than just daycare.

Childcare is available for children from birth to 13 years old and may include early education programs. It can also refer to before and after-school care and is offered in different settings (home-based or center-based).

Preschool is specifically for children ages 3–4 and focuses on early learning and development.

If a childcare program is not part of Chicago Early Learning, we cannot guarantee that it meets the same high-quality standards.

All Chicago Early Learning programs at Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and Community-Based Programs must meet state and federal standards, use evidence-based curricula and assessments, and have highly qualified teachers and a minimum of two teachers in each classroom.

A CPS preschool program is affiliated with an elementary school run by Chicago Public Schools.

A Community-Based Program may be locally owned and operated. Hours may be longer than a traditional school day at a Community-Based Program, often up to 10 hours, but they will vary by location. Many Community-Based Programs also provide education and care for younger children, from birth to age 3.

Chicago Early Learning preschool programs all meet rigorous federal, state, and local standards. Filter by ‘Quality Rating’ on our Locations page to find programs with specific early childhood accreditations.

Please review our Programs page with detailed information about the types of programs and the characteristics of high-quality early learning programs.

Programs for children under 3 years old and prenatal programs are available on the Chicago Early Learning application.

To find programs for children under 3 years old, use the filter on our Locations page to compare programs based on your child’s age. Either search using the ‘Age Calculator’ or select an age under ‘Age by September 1’.

Do you need help using the filters on our Locations page?
Watch our tutorial on how to navigate the Locations page here.
Watch in Spanish here.

Services for children from birth to three years old are available through Community-Based Programs. Learn more about Community-Based Programs here or call 312-229-1690 to find a location that fits your family’s needs.

CPS primarily serves children who turn four on or before September 1 of the given school year in full-day programs. CPS has limited space in half-day programming for children who turn three by September 1.

Summer hours for our Chicago Early Learning programs may vary. Many Community-Based Programs offer summer hours, and some CPS preschools offer part-time summer programs. Please contact the program of interest directly to learn more about the summer programs and hours offered. You can also filter your program search and select programs that operate year-round.

To find available full-day or half-day programs, visit our Locations Page and follow these steps:

1. Enter your address or zip code in the search box.
2. Click the orange ‘Filter’ button in the corner to refine your search.
3. Under ‘Age by September 1’, select the age your child will be before September 1 of the current year.
4. To narrow your results, go to ‘School Day’ and choose either ‘Full Day’ or ‘Half Day’.
5. If you’re searching outside the Initial Application Period (after May 2025), select ‘Enrollment Availability’ and check ‘Seats Available’ to find programs that still have space.

CPS Pre-K is free of charge. Programs at Community-Based Preschool and Early Learning Programs have no-cost and low-cost options based on family income.

Families should contact their desired Community-Based Program directly for information about enrollment costs.

We encourage you to tour Community-Based Early Learning and Preschool Programs at any time throughout the year. To schedule a tour, please contact the program directly.

Families interested in touring a CPS Pre-K School can check the GoCPS calendar here for Pre-K Week events happening from April 7–13, 2025. These events are hosted by schools specifically for Pre-K families.

Visit our Locations page and click the orange button titled ‘filter’ to expand the filter categories. Type your address into the search bar to refine your search for programs in your neighborhood.

You can also filter by the following categories:

• Age by September 1 (of the current year)
• Enrollment Availability
• Neighborhood
• Zip Code
• School Day (Half or full day)
• Duration (School year of year-round)
• Program Features
• School Type (Community-Based, CPS)
• Quality Rating

Do you need help using the filters on our Locations page?
Watch our tutorial on how to navigate the Locations page here.
Watch in Spanish here.

Families who are currently enrolled and want to switch to a different program in the fall must complete a new application and follow the full application process for the new program.

Transfer students are not given priority at the new school, and there is a chance that the child might go from a secured seat to a waitlist at the second program, depending on seat availability.

Before you make changes to your application, please note that you may be required to give up your child’s seat at the current school to see if you are eligible for the seat or to be offered a seat at the second school.

If you have already submitted an application for your child and would like to make changes to your program preferences for SY25-26, please call the Chicago Early Learning Hotline at 312-229-1690 to make changes to your application and to view availability at your desired school.

At chicagoearlylearning.org, families can apply for a Chicago Early Learning program for children ages 0–5. Available programs include:

• CPS Pre-K Programs
• Community-Based Early Learning Programs, which can include:
  • Head Start & Early Head Start Programs
  • Home Visiting Programs (through Community-Based Programs)
  • Doula Programs (for pregnant mothers)

The application is available on chicagoearlylearning.org. Please keep in mind that the CPS Pre-K application is currently on a different platform from the GoCPS application.

Families can rank up to 5 of their top program selections for any of the 500+ CPS Pre-K and Community-Based Preschool and Early Learning programs at ChicagoEarlyLearning.org.

Families are encouraged to explore their options on the Locations page. Families can also apply by calling our hotline during operating hours at 312-229-1690. For in-person application support, families are also able to schedule a time to visit their preferred programs on-site.

Follow the five steps on our How to Apply page here to complete the application process.

Applications are not first-come, first-served. Enrollment is prioritized based on need (visit our How to Apply page to learn more). However, many popular programs fill up quickly, and applicants who apply earlier will have the best chance at a spot in their top choice program. Families who apply during the Initial Application Period will also know their application status before families who wait until after the Initial Application Period to apply.

Yes, you must reapply for the upcoming school year. Waitlisted applications do not carry over to the next school year.

Please rank your choices on the application in the order of your true preference. You will be waitlisted if you do not receive an offer for your top choice. If a spot becomes available, you will receive an offer letter to that program, even if you have accepted your second choice.

If you wish to change information included on a previously submitted application, please call 312-229-1690 to speak with an Application Specialist directly.

Parents and guardians must submit one application per child when applying for a new program. Each application allows you to rank your top five preferred Chicago Early Learning programs.

If you have multiple children to apply for, you must complete and submit a separate application for each child.

Yes. You can click the globe in the corner of any page of the application to change the language. The application is available in English, Spanish, Polish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Urdu, Arabic, Yoruba, and Chinese.

The family income requested while completing the Chicago Early Learning application refers to a family’s gross income.

Families with questions or needing support completing the application can call 312-229-1690 for assistance with applications for both CPS schools and Community-Based Early Learning Programs.

Additionally, Families can visit a Family Resource Center at select Public Libraries for application and verification support. During the application period, families will be able to apply in person and verify enrollment at the Family Resource Centers here.

Although we cannot guarantee that siblings will be placed at the same site. We will make every effort to keep siblings of the same age together, but factors such as space, age, and individual needs may prevent us from ensuring placement with siblings.

For applicants who applied in April, you will be notified of your placement status no later than the end of May. Starting in May 2025, families will know whether their child has been offered a seat or is on a program’s waitlist by the next business day after applying.

You can complete an application by calling the Chicago Early Learning Hotline at 312-229-1690.

If applying for a CPS Pre-K Program, you can visit one of the Family Resource Centers around the city that are available for application support. You can also go directly to the program you’re applying for application support as well.

If you did not receive an email after completing the application, call the Chicago Early Learning Hotline at 312-229-1690 to confirm your application was submitted successfully.

If you need assistance with your child’s application or placement and cannot find the answers you are looking for here, call the Chicago Early Learning Hotline at 312-229-1690.

Our Hotline can help you with:

• Applying for an early learning program
• Confirming your child's offer notice
• Updating your top-5 program choices
• Updating the info you provided on your application
• Finding another high-quality program if you're on the waitlist for your preferred school

• Moving up on the waitlist
• Getting you into a program where you're waitlisted
• Finalizing enrollment and verifying your child’s placement at a program
• Answering school-specific program questions
• Any changes after enrolling, outside of applying to another program

If you have questions specific to the program you are applying to, please contact the program directly. Program contact information can be found on our Locations page by selecting ‘More Info’ under the program you want to contact.

If you don’t get an offer, you will receive a notification that you are “waitlisted” at your desired school or community program. If a spot should open up that you are eligible for, you will be notified via email or phone. You don’t have to take any action until you are contacted. Applications are automatically processed from the waitlist based on need and availability. If you would like to change your program selections, call 312-229-1690.

Families will only receive ONE offer. You will be waitlisted at any program you ranked higher and will not be considered for any program you ranked lower.

If you receive an offer at your second choice, you will be waitlisted at your first choice, and you will receive a status of "not offered" for your third, fourth, and fifth choice. If you receive an offer and prefer to attend a program you have ranked lower, you must resubmit your application with a new choice order.

Please read the FAQ "What happens if I resubmit my application?" if this applies to you.

Although we’ve done everything we can to reduce the number of children on waitlists, they are still common among Chicago's most popular early learning programs because of high demand.

Waitlists are determined by enrollment prioritization, which is based on a child’s age and the child’s needs. This need is determined by socioeconomic factors such as housing status or a family’s household income.

If a child is in foster care, in a temporary living situation, or houseless, they will receive greater priority for enrollment over children who do not experience these hardships. Similarly, priority is considered for a family’s household income. A child whose family is below the federal poverty line will receive priority placement over children from a higher-income household.

If you have additional questions about waitlists or enrollment priority, visit our website at ChicagoEarlyLearning.org or call the Chicago Early Learning Hotline at 312-229-1690.

Families are placed on waitlists in order of points based on enrollment prioritization, not in the order they applied.

This means that if another family applies later but has a higher need, that student may be higher on the waitlist than another family that applied earlier.

CPS Pre-K Programs

Waitlist numbers are now visible to families who apply to CPS Pre-K programs.

The waitlist numbers might change nightly. Eligibility criteria prioritize children with the highest need for preschool. Families are prioritized according to socioeconomic factors for eligibility and available space within programs.

Our highest-need families: low-income families, students with disabilities, students in temporary living situations, foster children, etc. will receive priority placement. To a lesser extent, CPS also prioritizes sibling applicants and families who leave within the attendance area of a school. Placement, open seats, and waitlists will be continuously reviewed throughout the enrollment window to ensure we are maximizing access for families.

Community-Based Preschool and Early Learning Programs

Programs not affiliated with Chicago Public Schools do not have waitlist numbers because seats are offered based on eligibility criteria. No preference is given to the first families to apply.

The waitlist will be reviewed daily. If a seat that your child qualifies for becomes available, you will be notified. But since there are no guarantees your child will be offered a seat, we recommend that you call the Chicago Early Learning Hotline to update your program selections to replace the programs you’re on the waitlist for with other high-quality programs nearby with availability so you can successfully enroll your child for the upcoming school year.

The Chicago Early Learning application will include an indicator of family waitlist status in the online portal here.

Placement, open seats, and waitlists are automated based on prioritization and eligibility to ensure we maximize access for families.

Ranking your top FIVE early learning programs should reduce the likelihood that your child is waitlisted. Still, if your child is waitlisted, you can call the Chicago Early Learning Hotline at 312-229-1690 for assistance in changing the program choices on your application.

To remove your child from the waitlist by changing your school choice or to remove the waitlisted school from your application, contact our Chicago Early Learning Hotline at 312-229-1690 or visit a Family Resource Center.

If your child is waitlisted, an offer will be automatically generated once a space that your child qualifies for becomes available. If you would like to remove your child from the waitlist by changing your school choice or removing the waitlisted school from your application, contact our Chicago Early Learning Hotline at 312-229-1690.

Please remember that you will be resubmitting your applications to ALL programs on your list.

If you have an offer you have not yet accepted, you are not guaranteed to keep it. Additionally, you may receive a new waitlist number when you resubmit your application.

You will need to wait until you receive an offer before you verify the self-reported information in your application. In the meantime, be sure you have proof of your child's age, your address, and your family's income for when a placement is offered. For a list of documents, go to our How to Apply page under the section titled ‘How to Verify Your Child's Placement.’

Children can be on multiple waitlists at a time. For example, if you get offered a spot in the program you ranked third, you will be on the waitlist for your first and second choice programs.

If an applicant is waitlisted and would like to apply for a different program, they can call the Chicago Early Learning Hotline at 312-229-1690 to update their selected program.

We recommend all families accept the offer letters they receive, even if it’s one of your backup choices. This will ensure your child has a spot in one of Chicago’s high-quality early learning programs for the upcoming school year.

You will still remain on the waitlist at your top-ranked programs after accepting your offer at your backup choice. If a seat opens up for your child at one of your top-ranked programs after accepting your offer letter at another program, that’s okay! You can still then accept your new offer letter at your preferred program and complete the enrollment process at your higher-ranked choice to enroll them at the program you prefer for the upcoming school year.

If your child is on the waitlist for all of your program selections, you will need to call the Chicago Early Learning Hotline at 312-229-1690 to make any updates to your application after it’s already been submitted.

The Hotline will help you get off the waitlist by matching your child to programs nearby with open seats instead. We’d still encourage you to contact the Hotline and exchange your backup options without availability for a program nearby that has an open seat for your child.

Contact the Chicago Early Learning Hotline to update your program selections at 312-229-1690.

If you have already submitted an application for your child and would like to make changes to your program preferences for the 2025-26 school year, please call the Chicago Early Learning Hotline at 312-229-1690 to make changes to your application and to view availability at your desired school.

Families can resubmit their application if they would like to change the order of their choices or add additional programs (up to a total of five program choices).

Please remember that you will be resubmitting your applications to ALL programs on your list.

If you have an unaccepted offer, you are not guaranteed to keep it. Additionally, you may receive a new waitlist number when you resubmit your application.

If you resubmit your application online, you will be resubmitting your application to ALL programs on your list and may lose your offer.

Additionally, you may receive a new waitlist number when you resubmit your application.

If you would like to change your top five choices or hold out for your top-ranked choice and change your backup program options, contact the Chicago Early Learning Hotline at 312-229-1690.

If you have an offer, we strongly recommend accepting it, even if you are waitlisted on a program you ranked higher.

For example, let’s say a family has an offer at their second-choice program and has been waitlisted at their first-choice program. If the family has accepted the offer at their second-choice program, when they come off the waitlist at their first-choice school, they can decide which offer they would prefer to take.

On the other hand, if the family has not yet accepted their second-choice program when they come off the waitlist for their first-choice program, they will lose the offer to their second-choice program.

You will need to wait until you receive an offer before you verify your information. In the meantime, be sure you have proof of your child's age, your address, and your family's income.

Proof of Child's Age (1 of the following):

• Original birth certificate
• Passport
• State-issued medical card
• Homeland Security Form

Proof of Address* (2 of the following):

• Driver's License/ID card
• Utility bill
• Lease agreement/mortgage statement
• Current voter registration card
  
  

Proof of Income** (1 of the following per parent listed):

• Current paystub (2 consecutive paystubs within the last 6 months required)
  SSI Letter
• Unemployment Letter/Stub
• Workers' compensation letter/stub
• Retirement or pension stub/letter
• Alimony
• Official child support letter
• TANF
• Income verification form
• SNAP (Only proof of income required for Head Start/Early Head Start)

Are you missing one or more of the document requirements listed? For additional information on obtaining documents, call the Chicago Early Learning Hotline at 312-229-1690.

If you have questions about required documentation, please contact the program you’ve applied to for further assistance.

*Families in Temporary Living Situations
If this applies to your family, you are not required to present the documents listed for verification.

**Families With No Income
Families with no income status can also apply by submitting a no-income form with their application.

Please note that you will be asked to provide proof of income and address. If your income or housing status differs from what you reported in the application, you may be at risk of losing your offer.

If your child has a seat in a Community-Based Program, you will be notified to bring your documents directly to the program to which your child was assigned.

If your child has a seat in a CPS Pre-K Program, you will be notified to bring your documents to the school where your child has been offered a seat or a Family Resource Center.

Families with questions or needing support completing the application can call 312-229-1690 for assistance with applications for both CPS schools and Community-Based Early Learning Programs.

Additionally, Families can visit a Family Resource Center at select Public Libraries for application and verification support. During the application period, families will be able to apply in person and verify enrollment at the Family Resource Centers here.

Here are a few facts to consider when deciding whether or not to apply to an early learning program for your child.

• 90% of a child’s brain development occurs by the age of 5.
• The brain triples in size in the first two years of life, which is why a child's learning experiences during that window are so predictive of her success later on.
• Early learning experiences lay the foundations of their minds for the rest of their lives.
• Children who attend quality early learning programs are more likely to enter kindergarten with a solid grasp of language and math and have more positive relationships.
  
  

Early Head Start and Head Start programs are federally funded early childhood education programs that are offered at Community-Based Preschool and Early Learning Programs across the city. Early Head Start programs are for children who are three years old or younger. Head Start programs are for preschool-aged children.

These programs promote and provide quality early childhood, school readiness, nutritious meals, and access to free medical and dental services. Families who receive SNAP benefits qualify for free Early Head Start/Head Start. Contact your preferred program directly to learn more.

If your child has an IEP or IFSP and you have been directed by the CPS Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) to complete the online application, you may apply online. If you were not directed to complete the application, please contact the OSD School Assignment hotline at 773-553-1847 for assistance.

All CPS Pre-K students with IEPs must receive a school assignment from OSD to attend a CPS program.

For CPS Preschools:
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is developed for each public school child who needs specialized services. If you suspect that your child may need additional special education services, we encourage you to get a developmental screening to see if further evaluation is needed.

For CPS Pre-K Programs, call 773-553-5410 or visit the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) website here.

For Community-Based Preschool and Early Learning Programs:
Early Intervention (EI) or Individual Family Service Plans (IFSPs) are available to families with infants and children under three years old with developmental delays and disabilities. This can include speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or other services based on the child's needs.

For more information locate and contact a DHS Office or Service Provider here.

Please call CPS Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) at 773-553-1800.

Families in a temporary living situation who are interested in a CPS preschool can reach out directly to the school to contact the Students in Temporary Living Situations (STLS) Liaison or Clerk. The STLS liaison will be able to assist with providing the appropriate support and services based on the family's needs and circumstances.

Families with children attending Community-Based Early Learning Programs should check with the program to find out what support is available specifically for families in Temporary Living Situations.

The City of Chicago may not have home-visiting offerings, BUT other programs may offer home-visiting this Fall. To learn more about home visiting options, call the Chicago Early Learning Hotline at 312-229-1690.

Or visit the Illinois Department of Early Childhood website.