October 20, 2016
On Thursday afternoon, Mayor Jim Kenney announced the formal launch of the five-year plan to add 6,500 locally funded, quality pre-K seats in Philadelphia. The soda tax is projected to generate approximately $410 million over the next five years, about $210 million of which will go to the pre-k initiative.
Remaining revenue will be used to finance the repair of parks and recreational facilities, the creation of community schools and supporting the city's fund balance.
The new website, www.PHLpreK.org, offers a variety of resources for parents — a list of local daycare centers, descriptions of five city programs and guidelines for eligibility to receive funding assistance.
Earlier this year, the city put out Requests for Qualifications to identify merit- and need-based daycare centers and designate phase one funding for the program. Below is an interactive map of early childcare learning centers in Philadelphia.
The city plans to have 2,000 new pre-k spots available in January 2017.
