DOE Pre-K Wrap-Around Program (formerly known as Abbott Wraparound)
The Abbott preschool program was created with the fifth decision of the landmark Abbott v. Burke school funding case, in which the New Jersey Supreme Court required that all 3- and 4-year-old children in the highest-poverty school districts receive a high-quality preschool education. As a result, all children in 31 school districts are eligible to receive a full-day/full-year pre-k program from teachers certified in early education.
While some of this early education service is provided in the public schools, most of it is subcontracted to local child care centers. A child must be a resident of the city Newark, Irvington, East Orange or Orange and have reached his or her third birthday on or before October 1 to start school in September.
Click here to download a list of the contracted DOE Pre-K programs for 2024 – 25 school year.
To contact the Board of Education’s Early Childhood Department directly, call:
Belleville: 973-450-3500 Ext.1081
East Orange: 973-266-2399
Irvington: 973-399-3942 Ext.1514
Montclair: 973-509-4020
Newark: 973-733-6234
Nutley: 973-320-8494
Orange: 973-677-4000 Ext. 52700
South Orange/Maplewood: 973-762-5600 Ext.1852
West Orange: 973-5673435 Ext. 36510
To speak to a Programs for Parents customer relations representative regarding subsidized child care centers in your area or the DOE Pre-K program, call 973- 297-1114.
Please note that Programs for Parents offers this information as a service and does not license, endorse, or recommend any particular program. You should contact and visit several programs to determine which one best fits your family’s needs.