Willamette Education Service District currently has free Preschool Promise slots available for qualifying families.
Willamette Education Service District (WESD) – a longtime provider of educational support services in Yamhill County for children from 0 to 5 who have a developmental delay or disability – now offers a preschool program for all children.
In 2023, WESD was awarded certification for the Preschool Promise program from the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) to provide free preschool slots for qualifying families in Yamhill County at the Yamhill Center in McMinnville.
Preschool Promise is a state-funded program that provides free or low-cost preschool access to children in need. Preschool Promise prepares young children for kindergarten by offering quality early education through certified centers around the state. Preschool Promise is available to most families living at or below 200% of the poverty level with children 3-5 years old. The child must be three or four years old as of the September 1st that falls before the start of the school year.
WESD’s Preschool Promise classrooms are not part of WESD’s Early InterventionI/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) program. These classrooms are a general education classroom setting. WESD’s Preschool Promise classrooms are guided by the belief that children learn best through play and practice. The classrooms use the HighScope Curriculum which is focused on active, child-led learning through positive interactions in a child-friendly learning environment. The HighScope approach addresses the whole child and uses research-based practices to support learning, creativity and independence. Classrooms are facilitated by a licensed instructor and an instructional assistant with up to 17 children.
Additionally, WESD’s program provides holistic development support, including nutritious meals and snacks, parent-teacher conferences, child assessments and developmental screenings.
WESD currently has 15 openings at the Yamhill Center (2045 SW Hwy 18, McMinnville, OR 97128) for the Preschool Promise program. If you are interested in learning more and completing an application, please visit WESD’s Website, WESD can also be reached by phone at 503-435-5941.
Additional information can be found on the Yamhill Early Learning Website.