Pre-kindergarten

School program for children before kindergarten A pre-kindergarten playground Childcare At home Parents Extended family Au pair Babysitter Governess Nanny Outside the home Daycare Pre-school playgroup Educational settings Early childhood education Homeschooling Pre-kindergarten Preschool Kindergarten Primary school Institutions and standards Child protection In loco parentis Minor Related Child abuse Child marriage Child Online Protection Family law Men in early childhood education Orphanage Parenting Parental controls vte Pre-kindergarten (also called pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool or within a reception year in elementary school. Pre-kindergartens play an important role in early childhood education. They have existed in the US since 1922, normally run by private organizations. The U.S. Head Start program, the country's first federally funded pre-kindergarten program, was founded in 1967. This attempts to prepare children (especially disadvantaged children) to succeed in school. United States As of 2016