Getting into preschool is now harder than college, and more expensive

I am banging my head against the wall as I write.

My daughter was just waitlisted at ANOTHER preschool.

To be precise, we are actually applying for transitional kindergarten (TK), formerly known as Pre-K, but for all intents and purposes it’s part of preschool. My daughter has an October birthday, meaning she turns five just a few weeks too late to enroll in kindergarten by law in the state of California.

TK has far fewer programs available than traditional kindergarten, and this has been an endless source of stress for me for months. Getting my daughter into a program is harder than ever dreamed possible.

The public programs have parents citywide swimming upstream like salmon, so to speak, racing to fill out applications for the few public TK options available. Those applications are used to either create a waiting list or a lottery. There are hundreds of kids who need a spot, and only a few available in each program.  I am now receiving letters in the mail from places we have applied letting me know that they have no place for her.

Lack of availability is one issue. Cost is another. Parents in Sacramento seem perfectly content to fork over $10,000 and up for private schools for TK for the school year. This is the norm, not the exception.  For their four year olds. THEIR FOUR YEAR OLDS! Have we all lost our minds?

The cost of University of California at Davis for one year of tuition is $13,902 for California residents. It’s an excellent California school. By the time you factor in registration fees, summer childcare for working parents, and fundraising requirements, the amount parents pay for preschool can easily exceed the cost of the local university.

Are you a parent struggling with getting your child into either the right preschool or even any preschool? Tell me your story below!