Feeling overwhelmed by the preschool search? Whether you’re new to Brooklyn or just new to the process, we’ve got you covered. Our guide is designed to help you navigate every step, covering age requirements, different preschool settings and teaching models, a comprehensive list of schools by neighborhood, admissions steps, tuition costs, schedules and hours, the process for NYC’s free 3K & UPK programs, as well as private schools. Plus, we highlight the newest daycares and preschools across the borough! Let’s dive into the basics.
Download our Preschool Guide
Looking for a comprehensive list of preschools in your neighborhood? Our comprehensive Preschool Guide profiles over 100 local preschools and daycares in Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Downtown Brooklyn, BoCoCa, Bed Stuy, Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, Park Slope, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bay Ridge, Sunset Park and beyond. Download it here to get started!
How old does my child need to be?
Preschool programs typically start at age 2, with the requirement that children have already turned 2 before school starts. Each school sets its own cut-off date for age eligibility.
- Calendar year (December 31): Many schools follow the NYC public school cut-off, where a child must turn 2, 3, or 4 by December 31.
- September 1: Alternatively, many private schools use September 1 as the cut-off instead.
What are my options?
Let’s break it down! There are a few routes to choose from when starting your search for preschool.
- Daycares with preschool classrooms: Brooklyn has many childcare centers that accept infants and toddlers, then transition kids into preschool-style classrooms around age 2 or 3. These centers are often open year-round with the option of extended hours and summer options.
- Private preschools: There are also many stand-alone private preschools that start around age 2 and typically go up to age 4 or 5.
- 3K & UPK: In the year your child turns 3, they are eligible for the DOE’s free 3K program, and at age 4, for Universal Pre-K (UPK). 3K & UPK are available at some public schools, daycares and private preschools. These programs can be competitive in certain neighborhoods, giving priority to students already enrolled in the school’s 2s program.
- Private schools with preschool divisions: Some private schools start at age 2–4 and continue through elementary, middle, or high school.
How do I apply?
- Application timelines: Some schools have strict deadlines (as early as November for the following school year!). However, many schools accept applications year-round.
- Tours and open houses: Many schools host school tours and open houses in the fall and winter months, prior two application deadlines.
- Admissions steps: Applications vary from school to school, but most include:
- Application
- School tour (often required)
- Family/child interview or classroom visit (more common for private schools)
- Waitlists: Waitlists are common. Don’t panic! Spots often open close to the start of school. Many families apply to multiple schools.
- A myth we’d love to debunk: “You need to apply the day your baby is born.” Simply not true!
What does it cost?
- Starting at age2, children are eligible in some neighborhoods for the new free 2s programs, at 3, children are eligible for NYC’s 3K program, and at age 4, for Universal Pre-K (UPK), all free through the DOE.
- Tuition: The annual cost for private preschools and private schools can range from $15,000–$40,000+, depending the schedule and add-ons like early drop-off, late-pick up, etc.
- Financial aid: Financial aid is available at many schools! Just note that financial aid applications often have separate deadlines.
What are some of the teaching models?
- Montessori: A child-led approach emphasizing independence, hands-on materials, and self-paced learning within a structured environment.
- Reggio Emilia: A collaborative, project-based approach, with strong emphasis on creativity and exploration.
- Languages: Many preschools teach foreign languages in full immersion or dual-language programs. Full immersion classrooms use the second language almost exclusively. In dual-language programs, instruction split between English and another language. No need to have prior knowledge of the language; families sometimes choose this for cultural exposure and early multilingual experience.
- Faith-based: rooted in Jewish, Catholic, or other traditions. However, these schools are often open to all, regardless of the family’s religion.
- Nature-based: Brooklyn has a few preschools that place great emphasis on time spent outdoors exploring nature, many of them near Prospect Park.
What are the hours?
- Many programs have flexible days and hours, with options ranging from 2, 3, or 5 days per week, morning or full-day options, and even options to drop off early or pick up late.While times vary by school, full-day programs typically run from 8:30 or 9:00 am to 2:30 or 3:00 pm, with early drop-off as early as 8:00 am and extended care until 6:00 pm.
- Free 2s, 3K & UPK programs run 6 hours 20 minutes/day, usually from 8:00am-2:20pm.
- While most preschool programs will follow the NYC public school calendar with holidays and summers off, some programs also run school holiday and summer camps.
2-K: free programs for two-year-olds
New in 2026: New York City has started offering free early care and learning for two-year-olds, under the name 2-K. It launched in September 2026 with roughly 2,000 seats, and the city has said it will expand in future years.
- For children born in 2024, for the fall 2026 school year. Children with disabilities, children learning English and students in temporary housing are all eligible.
- There is no admission test, and — unlike the older, income-tested childcare subsidies — no income requirement to apply.
- You apply through MySchools, the same portal used for 3K and UPK.
- The catch, for most of our readers: the first year is limited to five school districts — 6, 10, 18, 23 and 27 — and families living in them get priority. In Brooklyn that means District 18 (Canarsie, Remsen Village) and District 23 (Brownsville, Ocean Hill). If you are elsewhere in the borough, 2-K is not yet an option where you live.
- Applications for the first year opened in June 2026 and offers have already gone out. If you have a two-year-old and you are outside those districts, the thing to watch is the winter application season, when the city is expected to say how far the program expands.
Full details are on the Department of Education’s 2-K page.
3K & UPK
A note on timing: the application dates below are for the 2026-27 school year, and that round has closed — it ran from January to February 2026, with offers released in May. The city has not yet published the 2027-28 dates; in recent years the application has opened in mid-January and closed at the end of February.
3K and UPK are New York City’s free, full-day early childhood education programs. You do not apply through the school; instead, you submit an application through the MySchools portal. You may list up to 12 programs, ranked by preference. Families then receive an offer in the spring based on the combination of a random lottery number, program availability, and preferences listed. You will be automatically waitlisted for any schools ranked higher than the school where your child receives an offer. At many preschools, already enrolled students will receive priority.
3K for All:
- For children who turn 3 by December 31
- Classrooms have a maximum of 15 students, 2 teachers
Universal Pre-K (UPK):
- For children who turn 4 by December 31
- UPK has its own DOE application process (families must reapply, even if they are enrolled in 3K)
- Classrooms have a maximum of 18 students, 2 teachers
Both programs:
- Free!
- Settings include public elementary schools, daycares, or private preschools, who are licensed for 3K & UPK
- Breakfast and lunch are included
- Use a DOE curriculum
- 6 hours 20 minutes/day (usually 8:00am-2:20pm) September through June, following the NYC public school calendar
Private schools
- Some families may choose to apply to private schools, many of which extend through middle or high school.
- These schools have lower student-teacher ratios and use their own curriculum.
- While some private schools have programs starting as young as 2, 3, or 4, the main entry point for most remains Kindergarten.
- The application process for private schools is more rigid and can be competitive at some schools. Expect early deadlines in the fall, mandatory school tours, family interviews, and playgroup visits. If you are accepted, you may have a short window to confirm enrollment.
- At many schools, priority may be given to siblings, children of alumni, and at some faith-based schools, members of the congregation.
