5 Ways to Decrease The Cost of Sending Your Kids to Pre-School

According to Parents.com advisor Kathleen McCartney, PhD, dean of Harvard Graduate School of Education, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, "There's increasing evidence that children gain a lot from going to preschool." Kathleen continues, "At preschool, they become exposed to numbers, letters, and shapes. And, more important, they learn how to socialize -- get along with other children, share, contribute to circle time."

Studies show that a majority of kids attend at least one year of preschool: According to the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), more than 66% of 4-year-olds and more than 40 percent of 3-year-olds were enrolled in a preschool in 2005. "Children who attend high-quality preschool enter kindergarten with better pre-reading skills, richer vocabularies, and stronger basic math skills than those who do not," says NIEER director W. Steven Barnett, PhD.

While pre-school is very important, it can also be a costly venture. Experts at Payday advance from El Paso TX suggest the following five tips to decrease the cost of your child's pre-school education:

While pre-school is very important, it can also be a costly venture. The following five tips will help decrease the cost of your child's pre-school education:

Compare Different Pre-Schools in Your Area

Comparison shopping will always save you money. Take a look at different pre-schools in your area and what they have to offer in terms of activities for the children, if any food is provided and how long they are open on a daily basis. Some pre-schools offer different services for different amounts of money.

Home-Based Pre-Schools May Be Cheaper

Large pre-schools often carry a lot of overhead expenses, especially with the salaries that are paid to the teachers.

Home-based pre-schools carry less expenses and often times are better for children because of the personal attention they get. Make sure you find a home-based school that you trust and that has excellent references.

Government Subsidies and Other Financial Programs

Every state has financial aid for low income families who can't afford pre-school. You can find out more about this type of aid by asking the pre-school that you plan to send your child to.

If state financial aid is out of the question, many pre-schools offer financial assistance as well. If you can't afford to make the entire payment at once, payment plans are a great option. Normally, these types of plans will require some sort of down payment and monthly payments throughout the year.

Co-Ops

Co-ops are parent-organized pre-schools. These always involve parents taking turns on a daily basis to watch the children. While these types of schools do involve a small fee and a participation requirement, the savings are huge when compared to mainstream pre-schools.

Similar to other home-based pre-schools, make sure the parents you sign up with are trustworthy. The best thing to do is to start a co-op between you and other friends who have children of similar ages.

Research Schools Outside Your Area

Houston, Texas is a large urban area with many suburban cities surrounding it. If you live outside of Houston but commute into the city, consider taking your child with you to a pre-school near your place of employment.

If you live in a high income area, your best bet may be to look outside your city. Many cities are overflowing with pre-schools which makes the competition stiff and the prices lower.