Preschool Program at Pickleweed Prepares Kids for Kindergarten

State funding for a 10-year-old program for 48 preschoolers at the Pickleweed Children's Center was approved by city council members this week, assuring that Canal-area kids will be ready when they start kindergarten.

The program serves as a transition for three- to-five-year-old children from low-income families who will be entering the public school system. It follows the school year, operating from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on weekdays for  175 days a year. 

The center accepts children from a centralized eligibility list compiled by the Marin Child Care Council and provides free educational, health, social and nutritional services to its participants. It is funded by the state Department of Education, which renewed its $179,275 contract with the city despite the current budget squeeze.

Bill Scharf, assistant director of community services for the city of San Rafael, said the program is based loosely on the Montessori method, teaching children numbers, colors and language development.

Children who participate enroll with a range of skills and language abilities. Most are from Spanish-speaking home but the number of Vietnamese-speaking kids has increased in the last several years. 

While some may be apprehensive at first, they are more likely to love being at the center by the end of the school year — and their families are, too.

"Graduation is really cool because all the families get involved and there's  a big pot luck in the (Pickleweed) park," Scharf said. 

In the time it has been in place, the program has become somewhat more formal, with state evaluations every three years and a requirement for the city to measure achievements and set goals. The program has been able to stay below the less-than-$200,000 a year budget partially because grants are in place to pay rent for the buildings that house the center.

"It's easier for us than other (state-funded) programs that need to pay rent," Scharf said.

He said the feedback the city gets from kindergarten teachers at Bahia Vista School in the Canal area and San Pedro School, where many Canal residents are bussed, has been very positive.

Assistant City Manager Jim Schutz said the program and its funding are extremely valuable.

"We wouldn't be able to afford to do it with city funds," Schutz said. "It allows us to provide these services to families so we can get preschoolers ready for kindergarten."

In light of the state budget crisis, Schutz said securing the funding is a relief.

"There are so many things that we have counted on that are just no longer available," Schutz said. 

In fact, the city lost a $130,000 contract that provided after-school care to elementary school students at Pickleweed.