ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (WOWO): Allen County and 17 other Hoosier counties have been announced as pre-qualified finalists in the Pre-K Pilot Program. Wednesday afternoon, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) announced the 18 counties.
The pilot program provides support for the FSSA to administer the funding to low income 4-year-olds in five counties. It will help approximately 1,500 Hoosier children attend the public or private pre-k of their choice.
“We’re on track and working to design a program that will be successful and will help the children who participate in it to be successful as well,” said Debra Minot, Secretary of Family and Social Services Administration. “We look forward to partnering with the counties to assess their readiness and implement a strong program.”
The 18 counties are Allen, Bartholomew, Delaware, Elkhart, Grant, Howard, Jackson, Kosciusko, Lake, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Noble, St. Joseph, Tippecanoe, Vanderburgh, Vigo and Wayne.
Prior to this legislation signed this year, Indiana was the only state in the Midwest and one of nine states in the nation not providing state funds for pre-kindergarten.
