Universal PreKindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten - San Mateo County Office of Education

What is Universal PreKindergarten?

California’s mixed-delivery system intends to offer a variety of early learning and care settings to allow parents and guardians an authentic choice to meet the needs of their families. Universal PreKindergarten, or UPK, provides a solid early start to education through equitable access to educational programs the year before Kindergarten.

The San Mateo County Office of Education is working with school districts, California State Preschool Programs, Head Start, private preschools, and family childcare providers to implement a mixed-delivery system to ensure parent choice in selecting quality early learning programs.

UPK in San Mateo County

San Mateo County is working to make sure all 4-year-olds have access to high-quality preschool. View the San Mateo County Child Care Partnership Council's plan (in Spanish and Chinese) to create a system where children can attend preschool before starting kindergarten.

Universal PreKindergarten Programs

UPK includes various program options families may be familiar with, giving more choices for high-quality PreK programs that meet a family’s needs. This also includes connecting before and after school and other childcare programs to create wraparound or full-day options for working families.

A visual representation of how Universal Prekindergarten is made up of multiple programs, including Head Start, California State Preschool Programs, Transitional Kindergarten, Before and afterschool programs, and private programs UPK can be accessed through many programs in San Mateo County, including:

Transitional Kindergarten (TK), provided by local school districts
California State Preschool Program (CSPP), operated by school districts and community-based organizations
Federal Head Start Programs
Subsidized programs that provide a preschool learning experience and are operated by community-based organizations, including family childcare
Private preschools
Park and Recreation Preschool Programs
Family Child Care

Families with four-year-old children can enroll in any program for which their child is eligible.

Universal PreKindergarten Choices

As part of Universal PreKindergarten, there are a variety of preschool options to choose from this infographic breaks down the preschool choices for families.

Name	California State Preschool Program (CSPP)	Head Start	Private	Transitional Kindergarten (TK)
Ages	3- and 4-year-olds	3- and 4-year-olds	3- and 4-year-olds	4-year-olds, depending on birthday
What it is	Preschool program run through contracts from the State of California	Federally-funded preschool program.	Variety of half-day and full-day preschool and childcare programs	Part of the public elementary school system that takes place the year before kindergarten
Schedule	Full-day options available	Full-day options available	Hours determined by individual preschool providers	Full-day options available, depending on local decisions
Cost	Free or low-cost, based on income eligibility and other factors	Free, based on income eligibility	Fees determined by individual preschool providers	Free, regardless of income

Regardless of the UPK program your family chooses, your child should experience an environment where:

Children of all abilities are supported and welcomed
Each child’s culture, race, identity, and language is respected
Educators are ready to support dual language learners and encourage children to use their home language in the classroom
Children are provided with joyful learning that sparks their curiosity and sense of belonging
Play-based learning activities are used to build the skills they need to succeed in K–3rd Grade subjects

If you are interested in Head Start, CSPP, or Private Preschool Programs

Find your local Resource and Referral Agency (R&R) by visiting mychildcareplan.org and completing the “Get Started” questionnaire. Use the information provided after completing the form to contact your R&R about childcare options.

For additional information about San Mateo County’s Subcontract State Preschool Programs, please visit Finding Preschools and Child Care.

California is phasing in TK for younger students, as shown in the table below. By the 2025-2026 school year, all children who are 4 years old by September 1 will be eligible to enroll in TK through their local school district. Local school districts may have a policy that allows eligibility to include younger children.

Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is the first year in a two-year Kindergarten program. Designed especially for four-year-olds, it will help prepare children to succeed in school. TK is offered through the public school system. Classes take place at neighborhood elementary schools and are free to all students regardless of income, similar to Kindergarten.

When can my child start Transitional Kindergarten?

Children can start Transitional Kindergarten (TK) at the beginning of the school year with the following birthdates.

To find out if your child is eligible for Transitional Kindergarten, use this birthdate calculator to determine if your child is eligible for TK, visit California Universal PreKindergarten. You can also explore these Frequently Asked Questions about TK/ Preguntas frecuentes sobre TK. Learn more about TK programs in your local school district.

Donna Yuriar

Coordinator, P-3 and Early Education

Email: dyuriar@smcoe.org

Phone: (650) 802-5351