As an early childhood educator, I get asked this question at least once a week; it seems that parents (and the community in general) are somewhat confused about what “U-Pk” is.

In a nutshell, “U-Pk” stands for Universal Pre-Kindergarten. It is a “pre-school” program designed to give all 4-year-old children, regardless of income or ability, an opportunity to attend preschool before starting kindergarten.

I'm sure many of you are thinking, “What's the difference between ‘U-Pk,' nursery school, preschool, Head Start, day care and child care?” It can be confusing, so a quick look at the history of “preschool” programs might be helpful.

In essence, the movement to provide “formalized” opportunities in a classroom setting for children under the age of 6 began with nurseries. You probably all remember Mary Poppins, that lovely young woman who provided “supervision and education” for the children of a wealthy family in London. That's basically how it all started; nurses and/or nannies cared for the infant children of wealthy families in specially designed “rooms” in the family home.

As the babies became older, the nurses and/or nannies became “teachers” providing children with not only reading, writing and arithmetic, but with foreign language, social skills and exercise. Thus “nursery schools” were born.

The in-home nursery schools later expanded and were moved to buildings outside the home and brought together small groups of children in one classroom. Today, the term “nursery school” is synonymous with “preschool,” and both programs typically serve to meet the social and educational needs of 3- and 4-year-olds.

The “nursery school” concept was expanded upon in Germany in the 1800s, and schools known as “kinder gartens” (children's gardens) were organized. These “schools” served children from 4 to 6 years of age (before entering elementary school) and were based on the belief that young children needed opportunities for socialization and for learning through play. In addition, these “kinder gartens” promoted the belief that teachers should be trained to work with young children; taking the concept of early education to a higher level.

The first “kindergarten” in the United States was opened in 1860 in Boston and utilized the concepts developed in Germany. These schools were open to children whose families could afford the fees; typically upper-middle class families.

Today, kindergarten programs are typically for 5-year-olds and are part of the public school system.

For those of you who are trivia enthusiasts, you will appreciate this bit of information. When informational meetings were held in the United States to promote the concept of “kindergarten,” a businessman by the name of Milton Bradley was in the audience. When he heard about the materials used for hands-on learning in German kindergartens, he immediately began to manufacture those materials (toys) through his company #- Milton Bradley toys.

Historically, “pre-school” programs served children from families who could afford to pay the “tuition.” In the United States, a “pre-school” system existed for middle-class and upper-middle-class families. Unfortunately, children from low-income households were not able to participate due to a lack of financial resources.

This all changed in 1965 when President Lyndon Johnson began his “War on Poverty” initiative. As part of that initiative, Head Start was developed. The program started as an eight-week summer program for children from low-income families who were 5 years of age and beginning first grade the following fall and was available at no cost. The program was a comprehensive “pre-school” program designed to prepare the children for first grade; children who had not had the opportunity to attend private nursery school or preschool programs.

Over the years, Head Start preschool programs have expanded and provide half-day and full-day programs for 3- and 4-year-olds; some are nine-month programs, some are 12-month programs. In addition, Early Head Start was developed to serve children from birth to age 3.

In addition to the programs described, we now have “Universal Pre-Kindergarten.” As stated previously, the U-Pk concept provides for all 4-year-old children, regardless of income or ability, the opportunity to attend a pre-school program before starting kindergarten. U-Pk programs are state-funded, are typically administered by school districts and are available free-of charge.

The U-Pk movement began as an initiative under the first President Bush and continued through the Clinton and the current Bush administrations. The ultimate goal is to provide publicly-supported pre-school programs so that all children begin kindergarten ready to learn. Research supports the concept that learning begins at birth and that the prime time for stimulating brain development (and future learning) is from birth to age 5.

We are fortunate that programs are being developed to support the growth and development of our young children and that those programs are available to all families at no cost. Like other pre-school programs, U-Pk is optional, but unlike private pre-school programs, is available to all children free-of-charge. U-Pk programs are not available in every community; to determine if your community participates, you should contact your local school district.

Patricia Gridley, Ph.D., is an associate professor and the coordinator of the Early Childhood program at Cayuga Community College.