Office of Early Childhood

The Cambridge Office of Early Childhood (OEC), formerly the Birth to 3rd Grade Partnership, works to develop an easily accessed, aligned and coherent system of affordable, high-quality education and care that begins with prenatal care and extends through third grade in Cambridge. Sustained by the Department of Human Services Programs and Cambridge Public Schools, the Office of Early Childhood serves as Cambridge’s central coordinating hub for early childhood information and quality improvement and includes school and community-based early childhood education, home visiting, and family support and engagement. 

For more information about OEC’s resources and programs, visit
Office of Early Childhood

Universal Preschool (UPK) Update

The Office of Early Childhood will lead the implementation of universal preschool (UPK) in Cambridge, which will be known as the Cambridge Preschool Program (CPP).

• CPP is a publicly-funded program that will provide free school-day, school-year preschool to every 4-year-old and some 3-year-olds living in Cambridge.
• It will introduce a single application for families to apply to a variety of preschool settings in Cambridge, including programs at CPS, the City of Cambridge Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP), and community-based programs. Families will have the option of selecting extended day and summer preschool programs for an additional cost.
• The CPP universal application will launch this winter for enrollment in the 2024-2025 school year. Cambridge children who will be 4 years old by August 31, 2024 will be eligible to apply, as will children who will turn 3 years old by August 31, 2024 and who meet specific eligibility requirements.

Contact

Lisa Grant, Ed.D., Executive Director
Office of Early Childhood
617-349-6554
earlychildhood@cpsd.us