The name Family Preschool reflects the central importance of the family in this preschool program. The school seeks to integrate the comfort and security of home-based play with more traditional preschool experiences and is enhanced by the talents and energies of the families who participate. Family Preschool is administered by a parent board; parents participate regularly in the classroom as assistants to the professional staff, and parent education workshops are offered during the year. Family Preschool strives to foster a support community among children, parents, and staff.

The objectives of our preschool are to help preschool children develop socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually by providing safe, interesting, and challenging play with other children of similar ages in a nonprofit, nonsectarian, nondiscriminatory school situation. We endeavor to provide parent members with new experiences, guidance, and knowledge that can make them more effective as parents. Family Preschool considers the enrollment of children with special needs on an individual basis given the capabilities of our staff and the program’s social and academic goals. Special circumstances within individual families may be brought to the attention of the enrollment chairpersons and the director for consideration.

Family Preschool depends entirely on its parent members to administer the school and assist the staff in day-to-day operations. When you join Family Preschool, you enter into a contract to fulfill the following:

• Work as a helping parent (assisting and cleaning) in the classroom approximately twice a month from 8:30 am until noon.
• Attend orientation sessions at the beginning of the school year.
• Help with the set-up of the school in the fall and the clean-up in May, (each is a 3 hour work day which counts toward co-op hours), as well as performing one general evening school cleaning during the year (approximately 2 hours).
• Contribute a minimum of 12 hours of work outside of the classroom each semester. Three of these hours must be dedicated to fundraising projects. Families can earn hours in many ways, from assigned jobs to be done at school or at home (such as purchasing snacks, washing paint pots or tending the garden) or miscellaneous odd jobs.
• Maintain regular tuition payments and comply with school policy and medical regulations.

More details about these requirements are in our Member's Handbook.

Working on 'Helping Parent' days and fulfilling hours requirements calls for a moderate commitment of time from our families. Most feel it is well worth the effort, for in turn, they receive the rewards of close involvement in their children's school life and the satisfaction of working within a community for the benefit of all. Parents' contributions of time and talent to the school is an important way for children to see that their education is valued by those they love.