Preschool Frequently Asked Questions

When does a child in California have to enroll in public school or a legal alternative?

Is Kindergarten mandatory in California?

Is there research that shows that children who attend preschool or Kindergarten outside the home do better in school?

Is preschool mandatory in California?

How can I keep up to date on the latest legislation introduced that would affect kindergarten and preschool age children?

In California, the age for compulsory school attendance remains six years old, but trends across the country coupled with a push from the teacher unions will likely cause California to reconsider lowering the age for mandatory school attendance. Right now, if your child turns six by December 2nd of this school year, you must enroll them in public school or choose one of the alternatives. See our Homeschool Basics web page for alternatives.

Kindergarten is not currently mandatory in California. It is offered in nearly every public school across the state of California. It is free of charge, and any child who turns five by December 2nd may enroll if their parents choose.

No. The research usually quoted by advocates of mandatory preschool and kindergarten concerns the Head Start program. It suggests that families involved in the program may have benefited from parent education and access to a traditional preschool program. Head Start targets lower income, at-risk families only, so this research does not apply to all families.

Currently, fourteen states have mandatory kindergarten laws. Research has failed to indicate that the children in these fourteen states out score their peers in the states without mandatory kindergarten. Both Washington and Pennsylvania allow parents to use their discretion on sending their children to school up until age eight. Yet neither of these states shows significantly lower standardized test scores.

International research done by the Program for International Student Assessment showed that children in Finland, whose mandatory school age is 7, scored much higher than children in Sweden where the vast majority of children enter publicly funded education by the age of three.

Preschool is not mandatory in California, but legislation has been introduced to create mandatory preschool. To date, it has not passed.

Universal preschool, meaning preschool available throughout the public school system for free, has also been considered in California. For parents who struggle to pay for childcare for their preschoolers, this is good news. But those who choose to keep their young children at home are concerned. Both Georgia and New York have already implemented universal preschool programs. So far, these programs are voluntary, but there have been calls for mandatory attendance.

The California Homeschool Network legislation committee reviews legislation regularly and issues reports on the CHN web site.