PRE4CLE is a collective impact initiative working to expand access to high-quality preschool to all 3- and 4-year-olds in the city of Cleveland so that every child enters kindergarten ready to succeed.

Created in 2013, PRE4CLE’s leadership body, the Early Childhood Compact, has partnered with high- quality preschools and a broad set of community partners to accomplish its goal.

PRE4CLE aims to expand access to high-quality preschool and strengthen kindergarten readiness in Cleveland. To accomplish this, PRE4CLE is guided by the PRE4CLE Plan, a set of community-level goals and strategies that drive high-quality preschool expansion and enrollment in the city of Cleveland.

For the latest PRE4CLE plan, click here.

PRE4CLE was created in 2013 as a result of the 2012 Cleveland Plan for Transforming Schools. Between 2013 and 2019, enrollment in high-quality preschool increased by 72%, and the number of high-quality preschools has increased from 71 in 2014 to more than 220 in 2022.

PRE4CLE Preschools include public, private, and home-based early learning centers. All PRE4CLE providers have earned a 3-, 4-, or 5-star rating on Ohio’s Step Up To Quality rating system.

PRE4CLE providers are located throughout the City of Cleveland, with at least one in each neighborhood. For a full, up-to-date listing of our preschools, please click here.

When PRE4CLE was created, only 16% of children were entering kindergarten in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District fully prepared, as measured by Ohio’s Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, and only 24% of preschool-aged children in Cleveland were participating in high- quality preschool.

High-quality preschool is the first step on the education continuum for transforming Cleveland’s educational attainment, providing a strong foundation for K-12 success, and increasing high school graduation and higher education participation rates.

We now know that much of the “hard wiring” of the brain happens before the age of five, laying the foundation for all future academic, social, and emotional development. By providing access to high-quality programs close to home, Cleveland’s youngest learners are set up for future success.

PRE4CLE connects parents and families to high- quality preschool programs that meet their needs; connects preschool providers to tools, resources, and key partners to increase their quality and serve more children; and provides  leadership and advocacy for Cleveland’s preschool programs.

Several studies have shown significant economic benefits for communities that invest in high-quality preschool. Research shows that when children participate in high-quality preschool programs, they’re more likely to graduate high school and pursue college or vocational training programs, resulting in higher employment rates and overall lifetime earnings as adults.