The California Statewide Family Engagement Center (CA-SFEC), led by the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE), is proud to support the launch of a new Universal PreKindergarten (UPK) toolkit designed to help California families better understand their early learning options.
The free toolkit provides schools, child care providers, community organizations, and local leaders with clear, family-friendly resources they can use and adapt for their communities. The materials explain free and low-cost early learning opportunities in accessible language, helping families make informed decisions and find programs that meet their needs.
What’s Included in the Toolkit
The toolkit features a variety of customizable resources, including:
- Flyers and posters
- Social media graphics and sample captions
- Parent testimonial videos and short clips
- Email and newsletter templates
- Talking points and key messages
- Referral and enrollment resources
- Links to translated materials
These resources were developed to be easy to share, culturally responsive, and reflective of California’s racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse families. They are also intended to reach families who may not yet be connected to their local school districts or early learning programs.
Centering Family and Community Voices
The materials were shaped through a collaborative co-creation process that placed community voices at the center of the project. Dr. Janet Nuñez-Pineda, Director of CA-SFEC at PIQE, participated on the Co-Creation Committee alongside representatives from Parent Organization Network, Black Californians United for ECE, The Center for District Innovation and Leadership in Early Education, Parent Voices, California State PTA, and EveryChild California.
Their collective insight helped ensure that the resources address families’ real questions, reflect their experiences, and communicate early learning options in a clear and welcoming way.
Help Families Get a Strong Start
CA-SFEC encourages educators, family-serving organizations, and community partners to share these resources through social media, newsletters, community events, and direct outreach. By helping families understand the options available to them, we can connect more children with high-quality early learning experiences and support a strong start for every child.
Explore and download the California UPK toolkit today.
For questions or feedback about the materials, contact UPK@cde.ca.gov.
This project is a joint initiative of the CDE Foundation’s California Family and Community Engagement Initiative, the California Department of Education Early Education Division, and Collaborative Communications, with support from the Heising-Simons Foundation and Sobrato Philanthropies.
