No-cost pre-K program to accept more children in Greensburg, Mt. Pleasant areas thanks to state funding

Since Frock Childcare Learning Center began offering a free pre-K program, the center has served a “broader range” of local children and families, Frock teacher Lauren Markiewicz said.

Two years ago, the Mt. Pleasant center partnered with the Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette to offer Pre-K Counts, a division of PIC that educates program-eligible children at no cost.

Frock initially housed two Pre-K Counts classrooms at its location. Now, thanks to state funding, Frock will add a third classroom to teach 16 more children.

“It’s a wonderful program to offer free education for those families who do qualify,” Markiewicz said. “It gets (the kids) ready for kindergarten.”

Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette received $640,000 in state funding to expand the Pre-K Counts program at four Western Pa. locations. A brand new classroom called PIC Kidz Zone will open to 16 children Oct. 3 at PIC’s Hempfield headquarters.

Two other locations in Shaler Township and Greene Township — in Allegheny and Beaver counties — also will see 16 slots added at each site.

Both Pre-K Counts classrooms at Frock were full when PIC asked for additional money from the state, Pre-K Manager Laura Rockwell said. The Frock location offers privately paid pre-K education.

To qualify for Pre-K Counts, children must live in Pennsylvania and be at risk of school failure because of income, cultural or special needs issues.

A child’s family’s income must meet federal income guidelines. A family of four that earns up to $83,250 annually can qualify for the program.

One of the program’s primary goals is to ensure children and their parents smoothly transition to kindergarten, Rockwell said.

In the years following the pandemic, classrooms are focusing heavily on socialization skills, she explained. Each classroom has two teachers and no more than 20 children.

“We have heard from a lot of our districts how well our children are transitioning into kindergarten,” Rockwell said.

These additional slots mean PIC is hiring more teachers, PIC President and CEO Shujuane Martin said. Teachers must be certified in early childhood education.

PIC was founded in 1983 to offer workforce programs, Martin said. It began offering early childhood education programs in 1994.

Nearly 30 years later, its Pre-K Counts division has 15 pre-K locations in four counties.

Martin, whose daughter participated in Pre-K Counts in 2007, said the program instills a love for learning in children and prepares them for school and the workforce.

“Not only does our workforce matter today, it matters for tomorrow and years to come,” Martin said. “It is very important that we train and prepare our children today to not only be successful in their schooling, but also in the workforce.”

PIC is accepting pre-K applications for the 2022-23 school year. More information can be found on the organization’s website.