The Cambridge Preschool Program (CPP), also known as Universal Preschool, is a publicly-funded program and a joint partnership between the City of Cambridge, the Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP), and Cambridge Public Schools (CPS).
- CPP will provide free preschool to the families of all 4-year-olds and some 3-year-olds.
- A child is eligible for CPP if they live in Cambridge and are:
- 4 years old by August 31, 2024 for 4-year-old programs; or
- 3 years old by August 31, 2024 for 3-year-old programs (please note there will be limited seats for 3-year-olds and there may be additional eligibility requirements)
- The universal online application (paper applications will also be available) will open this winter and be managed by the Office of Early Childhood.
- When completing the application, families will identify the programs they are interested in.
- Families will then be matched with a preschool program based on the information they provided and program capacity.
- Following the matching process, enrollment will be completed by CPS, DHSP, Head Start, or the community-based program.
What does CPP mean for CPS?
- CPP will replace our 3-year-old lottery, which was held in October, and our Junior Kindergarten lottery, which was held in January.
- CPS will still hold its Kindergarten lottery in January for children turning 5 years old by Aug 31, 2024.
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