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Initiative seeks to boost pre-K enrollment in Forsyth County

The application process for pre-K is underway in Forsyth County for both public and private programs. KERI BROWN/WFDD

A campaign is underway in Forsyth County to get more four-year-olds enrolled in pre-K programs. It includes a new online resource to help families with the application process.

According to data from the North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education, enrollment in early education programs declined in the state during the pandemic. A nonprofit known as The Pre-K Priority launched a new initiative to boost those numbers in Forsyth County.

The Pre-K Priority is a coalition of community organizations and individuals that aim to improve the number of affordable, high quality pre-K programs in the community.

This month, more than 10,000 families with young children will receive postcards encouraging them to consider registering for pre-K and inviting them to visit a new website to navigate options.

Education experts say that having one year of early formal learning opportunities will help prepare a child mentally, physically and socially for kindergarten.

Katura Jackson is executive director of the Child Care Resource Center in Winston-Salem. She says the online tool is designed to be a one-stop-shop for pre-K applications and other services.

“As we were talking with families in the community, many families didn't know where to start their search for pre-K or child care," says Jackson. "And so this gives them an option and a place to start to access community resources.”

Pre-K enrollment is open to children who turn four years old on or before August 31.

Jackson says now is the time to apply for fall enrollment. The application process for publicly funded pre-K programs including Head Start and the local school system — as well as for private programs — is currently underway.

Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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