Hello everybody!

My family and I are PCSing to Yokosuka in September . We have a four year old boy and we wanted him to attend the Yokosuka Co-Opt preschool. To our surprise, we found the following message on their website:

"The Yokosuka Co-Op preschool is closed as of June 25, 2010.  The preschool
will not be opening for SY 2010-2011.  Please contact the Yokosuka
MWR/CDC to get information on the new preschool program they will be
offering.  
Thank you.
Administration Staff"

Does anybody have any idea if the "new" MWR/CDC program will be open for SY2010-2011? How is this new program different from the Sure Start program already in place? We would really appreciate any info we can get.

Thank you so much in advance!!

To mommykate:

Thank you so much for the info!!! We truly appreciate it.  I wasn't aware about all the specifications of the Sure Start program! We will be arriving on September 22 from Norfolk, so it would be even  harder for us to try and get him enrolled once the school year has already started. Would you mind sharing the info that you get in your next meeting with the MWR people? That would help us so much. It is  so sad that the Co opt preschool is closing. Every person I had talked to that had been stationed in Yokosuka (with kids) had recommended the Co -Opt program. Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions I love this website!

Sure Start is a program for command sponsored dependents. It is primarily a program for qualified four year olds. (The child must turn four years old by September 1 of the current school year.) Children qualify for Sure Start based on family dynamics which may put the child "at risk":

* based on rank of sponsor (E-1-E-4 or civilian rank equivalent, first priority)
* single parent household
* parent(s) not a high school graduate
* parent a teenager when first child was born
* one or both parents speak a language other than English as their primary language;
* low birth weight;
* parent is on remote assignment (TDY) three months or more;
* four or more children close in age, living in the home;
* child has older sibling with a severe disability.