What is the Griffin Early Childhood Center?
The Griffin Early Childhood Center (GECC) is a unique and innovative early childhood education program. Opening in Chicago Heights in fall of 2010, the GECC will consist of two components: a tuition-free, all-day preschool as well as a "parent academy" in which parents can earn up to $5,000 for attending workshops.
The sign-up process is under way now, and we invite all families of preschoolers in Chicago Heights and surrounding communities to register with us for the coming school year. The final date for registration is May 6, 2010. On May 7, 2010, all spaces in all programs will be awarded by lottery to families who have submitted registration forms.
The sign-up process is under way now, and we invite all families of preschoolers in Chicago Heights and surrounding communities to register with us for the coming school year. The final date for registration is May 6, 2010. On May 7, 2010, all spaces in all programs will be awarded by lottery to families who have submitted registration forms.
Are there any fees or tuition?
No. There are no registration or tuition fees of any kind – GECC preschool and parent programs are 100% free-of-charge to all participants. Funding for all GECC programs will be provided by the Kenneth and Anne Griffin Foundation.
Who is eligible to sign up?
All families living in Chicago Heights and surrounding communities with children ages 3, 4, or 5 on or before September 1, 2010, are eligible to participate in the Griffin Early Childhood Center. Sign up on the Tell Me More page.
What educational services can I receive from the Griffin Early Childhood Center?
A free full-day innovative preschool serving children aged 3-5. The preschool will open in the Fall of 2010 at two existing Chicago Heights School
District 170 school sites: Highland School and Washington-McKinley School.
Regular workshops for children and their families on early childhood
education, parenting strategies, nutrition and wellness, and a number of other topics.Families receive payment at each session for successful participation in the program. - The payments will amount to as much as $5,000 per year.
- Regular workshops for children and their families on early childhood
education, parenting strategies, nutrition and wellness, and a number of other topics. Parents are paid a lump-sum when their child enters college based on successful
participation in the program.- The lump-sum payment will be up to $5,000 towards college tuition.
If my child is admitted to a GECC preschool, does that mean I'll also be participating in a parent academy?
No. There is no overlap between the preschool and parent academy programs. Families participating in the preschool will not be involved with the parent academies, and vice versa.
Will bus service be offered?
Free daily door-to-door round-trip bus service to both GECC preschool locations will be offered to all enrolled preschool students residing in Chicago Heights (parents must be present in the home at the time of both pickup and drop-off). While families from other communities are warmly invited to register for all GECC preschool and parent programs, please know that at this time, school-bus service to communities other than Chicago Heights cannot be guaranteed.
If I fill out a registration form, does it mean my child is definitely enrolled?
While most of the families who register will be assigned a place in our preschool or parenting programs, because of the limited number of openings, we are unable to guarantee that your child will be enrolled in your first-choice program, nor is there a guarantee that we will be able to accommodate every family into a particular program at all. Families will be selected into each of the GECC programs using a random lottery. If, due to space limitations, you are not assigned to one of the programs during the lottery, your family will be added to a wait list and we will notify you immediately if an opening becomes available.
When will the school day begin and end for my preschooler?
We will make sure that families with multiple preschool-aged children are not separated into different programs. Once the first child's program has been decided, we will ensure that any additional eligible siblings are enrolled in the same GECC program.
Will meals be provided at school?
We will provide all students in the GECC preschool with a variety of snacks and meals throughout the day, so no snacks or lunches will need to be prepared or provided by parents.
I have two preschoolers. Will it be possible for them to be in the same GECC program?
The GECC preschool will be a full-day program, running from the morning into the afternoon. However, the exact hours of the GECC preschool day have yet to be finalized.
I don't live in Chicago Heights. May I still sign up for the GECC preschool and parent academy programs?
Because the GECC is privately funded, families living outside of School District 170 or outside of Chicago Heights are eligible and welcome to participate in all GECC programs.
Thank you for your interest in the Griffin Early Childhood Centers — we hope you'll join us!
Griffin Early Childhood Center
c/o School District 170
Administration Building
30 West 16th Street
Chicago Heights, IL 60411
708-227-1712
c/o School District 170
Administration Building
30 West 16th Street
Chicago Heights, IL 60411
708-227-1712