RI Pre-K Annual Lottery Open for Families Across Rhode Island

Published on Wednesday, April 05, 2023

PROVIDENCE, RI – Governor Dan McKee, Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green, and the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) today announced the opening of the annual lottery for the state-funded RI Pre-Kindergarten (RI Pre-K) program for the 2023-2024 school year. Parents, families, or guardians must submit applications by June 18, 2023, for their child or children to be considered for the free seats.

“High-quality early learning prepares Rhode Island’s youngest learners for a lifetime of success,” said Governor Dan McKee. “For 15 years, the RI Pre-K program has served as a national model for providing free, full-day, full-school year programs for Rhode Island’s youngest learners. I encourage all families with eligible children to enter the RI Pre-K lottery.”

RI Pre-K offers free, high quality learning opportunities for children who will be four years old as of September 1, 2023, and live in communities where RI Pre-K programs are offered. RI Pre-K programs are available to more than 2,300 children at 127 sites in 18 communities across Rhode Island, including at childcare centers, Head Start agencies and public schools. RI Pre-K spots are limited and completing a lottery application is required. Parents can submit lottery applications at www.RIpreK.com by June 18, 2023.

“Early education provides the strong foundation from which a child can build a lifetime of success,” said Chair of the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education Patti DiCenso. “The State’s continued investments in our nationally recognized early education programs are setting generations of Rhode Islanders up to be lifelong learners and leaders.” 

“High-quality early learning opportunities are critical because what children learn in their first few years of life – and how they learn it – can have a long-lasting impact on their success and health from childhood through adulthood,” said Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. “All Rhode Island families of eligible children are encouraged to enter the RI Pre-K lottery for a chance to set their child up for a lifetime of success.”

RI Pre-K programs are awarded through a competitive grant application process that evaluates the organization’s demonstrated ability and experience to provide high-quality early childhood programs and a commitment to continued quality improvements using a mixed-delivery model comprised of Head Start programs, local schools, and community-based childcare providers.

Funding for RI Pre-K seats and quality supports includes several Federal grants, including the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER), the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Age 5 (PDG B-5), and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act Child Care Development Block Grant Direct Award funds.

“The annual pre-k lottery represents a tremendous opportunity to expand the early-learning horizon, offering exciting, challenging, and rewarding experiences for those children continuing their early-education journey,” said DHS Acting Director Kimberly Merolla-Brito. “Rhode Island is committed to providing exceptional programs like this and others that seek to build the skills necessary for the greatest success of our children.”

As a testament to Rhode Island’s commitment to providing high quality early learning opportunities for children, Rhode Island was recognized as one of only a few states to increase preschool enrollment during the 2020-2021 school year, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER).

RI Pre-K consistently meets all 10 of the NIEER quality benchmarks, ranking Rhode Island as one of the nation’s top states for preschool quality standards. For more information visit the NIEER RI Pre-K Yearbook and the full report at NIEER State of Preschool.

RI Pre-K is accepting applications from families with four-year old children living in one of these 18 eligible communities: Bristol, Warren , Central Falls, Coventry, Cranston, East Providence, Johnston, Middletown, Newport, North Kingstown, North Providence, Pawtucket, Providence, South Kingstown, Warwick, Westerly, West Warwick, and Woonsocket.

To be eligible to attend, children must be 4 years old by September 1, 2023, and be residents of one of the identified RI Pre-K communities.

For more information on the 2023-2024 RI Pre-K Programs and the lottery application process please visit our www.RIpreK.com.

Families may contact the RIDE Pre-K team at RIPre-K@ride.ri.gov with any questions.

Online applications are due by 11:59 pm on Friday, June 18, 2023.

2023 – 2024 RI State Pre-Kindergarten Programs include:

Bristol-Warren 

1.    East Bay Community Action Program – 790 Main Street (401-245-2833) 

2.    The Children's Workshop - 410 Child Street (401-247-2503) 

Central Falls 

1.    Central Falls School Department-  

·      Capt. Hunt Early Learning Center, 12 Kendall Street (401-727-7720) 

** Applications are available on site and at Central Office 949 Dexter Street 

2.    Progreso Latino - 626 Broad Street (401-603-7098) 

3.    The Children’s Workshop - 151 Hunt Street (401-727-4474) 

Coventry 

1.    CHILD, Inc. - 23 Cady Street (401-823-3228) 

2.    Coventry School Department-  

·      Washington Oak Elementary, 801 Read School House Rd (401-822-9400 x 259) 

Cranston 

1.    Cranston Public Schools -  

·      Arlington Elementary School, 155 Princess Ave. (401-270-8179) 

·      Edgewood Highland School, 160 Pawtuxet Ave. (401-270-8065)  

2.    Cadence Academy - 546 Budlong Road (401-228-3317) 

3.    CCAP Child Development Center - 848 Atwood Avenue (401-943-5160) 

4.    Little Learners Academy - 950 Phenix Ave. (401-714-0088) 

East Providence 

1.    East Bay Community Action Program - 70 Turner Ave. (401-649-4233 ext. 100) 

2.    East Providence School Department (401-435-7500 ext. 30034)

·      Oldham School - 60 Bart Drive  

       ** Applications available at East Providence Administration Offices, 1998 Pawtucket Ave 

3.    The Children’s Workshop - 411 Narragansett Park Drive (401-434-1118) 

Johnston 

1.    Graniteville School - 6 Collins Avenue (401-231-8790) 

2.    Over The Rainbow - 1269 Plainfield Street (401-383-4664) 

Lincoln 

1.    Academy for Little Children – 6 Wake Robin Road (401-333-4222) 

Middletown 

1.    East Bay Community Action Program - 740 West Main Road (401-468-0436) 

Newport 

1.    East Bay Community Action Program - 8 John Chafee Blvd. (401-367-2001) 

North Kingstown 

1.    Sunshine Child Development Center - 11 Iafrate Way (401-294-3510) 

North Providence 

1.    Dr. Day Care - 2 Volturno Street (401-723-7784) 

2.    TriCounty Community Action Agency -

·      79 Waterman Avenue (401-519-1979) 

·      2204 Mineral Spring Avenue (401-519-1979)

Pawtucket 

1.    Children’s Friend and Service - Dean Center - 13 Legion Drive (401-752-7700) 

2.    Dr. Day Care – 25 Thornley Street (401-722-7000) 

3.    Heritage Park YMCA - 333 Roosevelt Avenue (401-727-7050) 

4.    Pawtucket School Department – 

·      Fallon Memorial School - 62 Lincoln Avenue (401-729-6300 or 729-6254) 

·      Nathanael Greene School - 235 Smithfield Avenue (401-729-6260 or 729-6300) 

Providence 

1.    Beautiful Beginnings –  

·      700 Elmwood Avenue (401-785-8485) 

·      CCRI Liston Campus - 1 Hilton Street (401-785-8485) 

       ** Applications for this site can be picked up and dropped off at 700 Elmwood Avenue 

2.    Children’s Friend and Service –  

·      Friendship Center - 350 Point Street (401-752-7600) 

·      Berkshire Center - 99 Berkshire Street (401-752-7500) 

·      Hartford Center - 550 Hartford Avenue (401-752-7950) 

·      Althea Center - 70 Union Avenue (401-495-3600) 

3.    Genesis Center – 620 Potters Avenue (401-781-6110 ext.16) 

4.    Imagine Preschool - 520 Hope Street (401-276-6129) 

5.    Meeting Street - 1000 Eddy Street (401-533-9100) 

6.    Over the Rainbow - 50 Niantic Avenue (401-383-0068) 

7.    Providence Public Schools – (401-456-9179) 

·      Harry Kizirian Elementary School - 60 Camden Avenue (401-456-9369) 

·      Narducci Learning Center - 110 Paul Street (401-456-9325)

                    ** Site of Pleasant View RI Pre-K for SY 2023-2024

·      Young Woods Elementary School – 674 Prairie Avenue (401-278-0515) 

8.    Smith Hill Early Childhood Learning Center - 25 Danforth Street (401-455-3890) 

9.    The Children’s Workshop -15 Clarkson Street (401-383-9958) 

South Kingstown 

1.    TriCounty Community Action - 1935 Kingstown Road (401-515-2471) 

Warwick 

1.    CHILD, Inc. –  

·      849 Centerville Road (401-823-3777) 

·      160 Draper Avenue (401-732-5200) 

2.    Precious Years – 205 Hallene Road, Building C, #324 (401-738-0550) 

West Warwick 

1.    Academy for Little Children - 10 James P Murphy Industrial Highway (401-823-5000) 

2.    CHILD, Inc. - 28 Payan Street (401-828-2888) 

Westerly 

1.    Tri-County Community Action – 34 Pond Street (401-515-2471) 

Woonsocket 

1.    Connecting for Children and Families - 46 Hope Street (401-766-3384) 

2.    Woonsocket Head Start Child Development Association (401-769-1850) 

3.    YWCA Rhode Island - 514 Blackstone Street (401-769-7450)