Eligibility

We serve the needs of children during the two years prior to kindergarten. A child is eligible to begin preschool if s/he reaches three before September 1st of the school year with some exceptions made for Fall / Winter birthdays. Enrollment is limited to 30 children and we strive to create a gender-balanced and age-balanced mix.

parent participation

Parent participation is a requirement of attending our school. Please see our page on parent work requirements for more details.

ENROLLMENT timeline & APPLICATION process

1. ATTEND INFO NIGHT. Parent Info Night is normally held on the last Wednesday of January from 7-9pm at the school. If you are unable to attend Info Night, you can still apply. Please see instructions for Tours below!

2. TOUR THE SCHOOL. Tours are scheduled Monday through Friday during the month of February from 9:30–10:30am while preschool is in session. Children are welcome to attend and participate in regular preschool activities. If your child will not be three by September 1 of that school year, you are required to bring them with you to meet our director. Otherwise, bringing your child is optional but highly encouraged.  To schedule a tour, contact preschool@mcpckids.org

3. SUBMIT APPLICATION. Applications must be completed by March 1st. Tours are required in order to be considered for the school. There is a $25 nonrefundable application fee. 

4. ACCEPTANCE LETTERS will be sent around March 15th with additional Financial Aid information, if applicable. See below information regarding tuition and Financial Aid application.

** If you have any questions, cannot make it to info night, or need special accommodations, email preschool@mcpckids.org, or leave a message at (510) 339-7213.

OUR SELECTION PROCESS

A small number of spaces are designated for children from families who are either MCPC alumni themselves or who have had an older child in the MCPC program as well as families who have participated in our Toddler Playtime program. The remaining spaces are allocated via a diversity (see below) and then general lottery. All applicants not offered a spot will be placed on a waitlist and contacted as spaces become available.

DIVERSITY

MCPC believes that children learn best from actual experiences and that the experience of attending preschool with children and families from a variety of backgrounds is the best way to teach the value of differences. To achieve this, we hold spots each year for children who would expand the diversity of our current community (including through race, culture, religion, family structure, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or ability). All diversity spots are filled by eligible applicants, and a diversity waiting list is created for those remaining. All diversity applicants not offered one of the designated diversity spots will also be included in the general lottery.

In the 2023-24 school year, our community includes LGBTQ+ families, immigrant and multilingual families, children with different abilities, and varied religious and cultural backgrounds. About a third of our families have one or more parents of color.

Children with disabilities

MCPC makes every effort to accommodate children with different needs and abilities. Due to the nature of our facilities we may not be able to meet every child’s needs but we strongly encourage all families to tour and discuss your specific situation with our staff.

TUITION & DEPOSITS

Tuition for the 2024-25 school year will be $650 per month for ten months, September through June. A non-refundable deposit equal to one month's tuition is required on acceptance. The deposit will be applied towards tuition in June of your second year. Please anticipate an increase in tuition, fees and deposits of approximately 5-10% per year.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Financial Assistance is available and is awarded based on need. It covers a portion of the monthly tuition, typically between 10% and 40%. 

We offer full scholarships to applicants who identify as being part of local Indigenous tribes.