Early Years Program

• The families of children with IEPs do not need to apply for program admission unless their IEP is for Speech-Language Impairment only. Those students are considered Community Peers.
• Children without identified disabilities/IEPs are Community Peers and must apply for admission. 
• For a child to be considered for admission as a Community Peer, the child must not be eligible for special education services.  If a child has been found eligible for special education services at any time during the admissions process, please contact one of our EYP offices @ 302-434-6087 or 302-651-2607. 
• The number of Community Peer openings may change at any time based on capacity. 
• To be eligible for your child to attend the Red Clay Early Years Program, you must be a resident or an employee of the Red Clay Consolidated School District
• Monthly tuition is required for Community Peers. 

• The Red Clay Consolidated School District will advertise the EYP Open Application Period in various ways, such as on the EYP website, at district schools, and at community events.
• All interested families will complete the Community Peer Application during the Open Application Period. Families will complete an online Community Peer Application. Families without internet access may visit the Choice office for a paper application at 2914 Duncan Rd, Wilmington, DE 19808, phone (302) 552-3789.
• Community Peers who attended as three-year-olds must reapply for their four-year-old year.   Preference will be given to returning students. 
• During the Open Application Period, all applicants must be at least three years of age on or before August 31st to apply for the following school year.  Red Clay Consolidated School District will attempt to fill all half-day slots with children who are at least three-years of age on or before August 31st.  Once the school year begins, if half-day slots are available, Red Clay Consolidated School District may enroll children whose third birthdays are on September 1st or after.
• Parents/guardians must agree that the information submitted via the Community Peer Application is true and/or correct.  Providing information that is not true and/or correct may result in a Community Peer Application being withdrawn from the Applicant Pool.
• Please note that the family must provide all Community Peers transportation to and from the program.  Excessive late pick-ups may result in the termination of the Community Peer Contract.

• Families will be notified of their child’s invitation to attend EYP or waitlist status by May 6, 2025.  Confirmation of acceptance of the invitation is required by May 31, 2025.  Once the application is accepted, a registration packet will be sent to the family.   Completed registrations must be received by June 18, 2025.  Incomplete registrations will result in the withdrawal of the invitation to attend.

If oversubscribed at the end of the Open Application Period, EYP will hold a lottery in May, applying the preferences described below.  Children whose applications are received after the Open Application Period will be placed on the waitlist.  If not oversubscribed, EYP will conditionally admit all students who apply during the Open Application Period and will add students based on the preferences below. The waitlist does not carry over from year to year. 

Preferences will be applied to fill EYP Community Peer slots in the order listed below:

1. Enrolled children who are eligible to return (not yet kindergarten age) but must re-apply.
2. Children who attended the EYP program as a student with an identified disability but have been dismissed from special education services and are Red Clay Consolidated School District residents.
3. Siblings of children who are Red Clay School Consolidated District residents, who are currently attending the Early Years Program and will be in attendance in EYP for the next school year.  This preference may be applied to the siblings of newly accepted students before, during, and after the lottery period.  The Sibling Preference is intended to keep families together.  A sibling is defined as a biological/adoptive sibling, a step-sibling, or a foster child residing within the same household.  Step-siblings living in different households are not considered for sibling preference.  If a student is enrolled from the lottery based upon the sibling preference, and the student currently attending EYP withdraws to go to another school, the sibling accepted during the lottery will be deemed to have lost acceptance status.  Same-age siblings will be treated as one single-applicant unit, rather than as multiple applicants.  When that one applicant unit is drawn in the lottery, the same age siblings will be numerically ordered on the waiting list or conditionally accepted depending on where that applicant unit was drawn in the lottery.  NOTE: Siblings of current students must submit an application during the Open Application Period to receive the sibling preference. 
4. Children who have a Speech Language Impairment (SLI) are Red Clay Consolidated School District residents.  This preference may be applied before, during, and after the lottery period.
5. Children whose parents/guardians are Red Clay Consolidated School District employees.
6. Children who reside in Red Clay Consolidated School District. 

• The families of invited children must register their child by June 18, 2025, at an EYP Office located at the Early Learning Center, Richardson Park Elementary, or Warner Elementary.
• At any time, Red Clay Consolidated School District may choose to invite/enroll children who are district residents and have been evaluated for special education eligibility but do not qualify for services. (pending available space)
• If the required registration documents are not received by June 18, 2025 (including proof of residence, shot records, current immunization schedule, birth certificate and all other information based on Red Clay Consolidated School District’s Application Process), the child will be withdrawn from the pool of applicants.
• The family must provide transportation.  Excessive late pick-ups may remove your child from the program. 
• Tuition is due on the first (school) day of each month.  Failure to pay will result in an automatic withdrawal of your child from the program.