Talk to any private preschool operator in California right now and you’ll hear some version of the same question: what does TK mean for me?
The shorter answer: it depends on who you serve, what age you serve them at, and what your real value proposition is.
The longer answer is worth a few minutes.
California TK Is Changing the Preschool Landscape
California’s Transitional Kindergarten expansion has created a free, public early learning option for many four-year-olds.
Starting in the 2025–26 school year, TK became available to children who turn four by September 1, according to the California Department of Education’s Transitional Kindergarten guidance. TK is free for eligible children, but it is not mandatory.
For a private preschool that has historically depended on the four-year-old class to anchor its revenue, this is a real structural shift.
Not a panic.
But a real one.
TK enrollment has grown quickly across California. The Learning Policy Institute reported that TK enrollment increased by more than 100,000 children between 2021–22 and 2024–25 as California moved toward universal prekindergarten.
Some Families Are Moving to TK
Some families are moving to TK as soon as their child is eligible, especially when their TK site offers a longer day, after-school care, or expanded learning options.
California’s Expanded Learning Opportunities Program provides funding for afterschool and summer enrichment programs for transitional kindergarten through sixth grade. That means many school districts are building additional support around the TK day.
For these families, the math is straightforward.
Free or low-cost public TK can feel like the responsible choice, especially when private preschool tuition has been a stretch.
Some Families Are Staying With Private Preschool
Other families are staying with private programs through age five.
They do this for many reasons:
- smaller class sizes
- more flexible schedules
- a curriculum philosophy they value
- a longer day
- a closer relationship with the teacher
- a sibling already enrolled
- transportation support
- familiarity and trust with the center
These are not “wrong” choices.
And they are not going away.
California’s own Universal Prekindergarten plan still includes private programs as part of the state’s mixed delivery early learning system. That system includes TK, California State Preschool, Head Start, private programs, expanded learning programs, family child care, and licensed child care centers.
Some Families May Choose a Hybrid Option
A third group may choose something hybrid: TK for part of the day, with private preschool, childcare, or aftercare for the rest of the day.
The California Department of Education explains that families may choose TK or other prekindergarten options. Children enrolled in TK may also still be eligible for subsidized early learning and care programs, as long as the hours do not overlap with TK.
For centers that can flex to this schedule, this can become an opportunity, not just a threat.
What Private Childcare Centers Should Do Now
So how should a private center think about it?
The answer is not to panic.
The answer is to get clearer.
1. Get Specific About Your Real Value
The phrase “we provide quality early education” is not enough anymore.
TK can credibly say that too.
Private programs need to clearly explain what makes them different. That might include:
- a smaller setting
- stable teacher relationships
- flexible scheduling
- mixed-age learning
- deeper parent communication
- transportation options
- longer hours for working families
- continuity from infant or toddler care into preschool
Lead with what families can feel in your program, not just what sounds good on a flyer.
2. Consider Leaning Into Infant and Toddler Care
TK does not serve infants, toddlers, or younger preschool children.
That matters.
If your program has historically been built around two-to-five-year-olds, expanding down may be a strategic move. But it has to be done carefully.
Infant and toddler care comes with different staffing needs, licensing requirements, ratios, classroom setup, equipment, and daily routines.
Still, for many private providers, younger age groups may become one of the strongest ways to stabilize enrollment as more four-year-olds become eligible for TK.
3. Look Honestly at Your Four-Year-Old Room
If you are losing TK-age children in significant numbers, that affects your ratios, staffing, tuition revenue, and classroom planning.
Plan for it.
Don’t pretend it is not happening.
Recent reporting from CalMatters on TK expansion and private daycare pressure has highlighted how some community-based preschool programs are already feeling the effects of TK expansion.
That does not mean every private preschool is in trouble.
But it does mean the four-year-old classroom may need to be repositioned.
Instead of treating the four-year-old slot as the default path every child passes through, centers may need to present it as a premium private option for families who intentionally choose the program.
4. Build Relationships With Local TK Programs
Private centers should not position themselves against TK.
Build relationships with local TK programs where possible.
Some private centers may be able to support families with the wrap-around care they still need, especially when school schedules do not fully match working parents’ schedules.
The Public Policy Institute of California notes that even when TK is available, many families may still need care beyond the school day.
That is both good business and good for families.
5. Talk Plainly With Families
Do not fight TK.
Do not disparage it.
Do not pretend it does not exist.
Have honest conversations with families about what fits their child, their schedule, and their comfort level.
Some families will choose TK.
Some will stay private.
Some may need both.
Families remember providers who treat them like adults during big decisions. They come back. They refer.
6. Stay Involved in the UPK Conversation
TK and Universal Prekindergarten decisions are being made at the state, county, and district levels.
Private providers need to stay visible in those conversations.
California’s UPK system is intentionally described as a mixed delivery system, but that system is complex and still evolving. The Learning Policy Institute’s report on mixed delivery systems explains that California’s early learning system includes TK, California State Preschool, Head Start, licensed family child care homes, and licensed child care centers.
Private providers have voices that matter in those rooms.
Show up.
Comment on plans.
Be visible.
The Shift Is Real, But Private Preschool Is Not Disappearing
The shift is real.
The fear that “private preschool will disappear” is overstated.
What is more likely is that the field reshapes toward earlier ages, smaller cohorts, flexible care models, wrap-around care, and a clearer explanation of what private childcare offers that public TK does not.
If you can name that, you are already ahead.