PARSIPPANY — Preschool Advantage, the Morristown-based not for profit that funds preschool tuitions for local families in need, announced that it has placed 113 children in area preschools for the 2019-2020 school year. Three of these schools – All Saints Academy, Children’s Circle at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church and Hearts and Hands Preschool – are located in the community of Parsippany. This is a record number of children placed by Preschool Advantage and represents a 38% increase over the number of children funded just three years ago.
The children placed by Preschool Advantage this year consist of 47 three-year-olds and 66 four-year-olds. Thirty-five percent of the children are from single-parent households, and thirty-three percent of families speak no English at home. Students reside in 34 towns across Morris and Somerset Counties; ninety-seven percent of families fall at or below the income level that the United Way has calculated is needed to provide for basic needs in Morris and Somerset Counties with a median household income of $35,700.
Preschool Advantage pays tuition for children to attend half day programs at one of 25 high-quality partner preschools, and strives to level the playing field between children whose families can afford to send them to preschool and those who cannot, so that all children in the community begin kindergarten with the tools they need for success.
In the words of Molly Dunn, Executive Director of Preschool Advantage, “Without the educational foundation that preschool provides, students begin school at a huge disadvantage. and this setback will impact them for years to come resulting in real costs for the community”.
Preschool Advantage is supported by individual donors as well as grants from foundations and businesses. Since its inception almost 25 years ago, Preschool Advantage has provided families with financial assistance for quality preschool education and has paid over 1,500 tuitions. Preschool Advantage will continue to accept applications until the end of the summer. Additional information about the organization can be found by clicking here, or by calling (973) 532-2501.
