Families who missed the initial application period for Preschool for All still have a chance to apply for the tuition-free universal preschool program for the 2026-27 school year. All families who are residents of Multnomah County, regardless of income, are welcome to apply.
As part of the program’s regular annual cycle, a second application window opened Tuesday, June 16, and will remain open until Jan. 25, 2027.
The initial application period for the 2026-27 school year opened April 6 and closed May 14. Preschool for All had a record number of available seats this year, with nearly 7,100 offered through hundreds of providers. This initial period also saw a record-breaking 6,000 new and returning applicants.
Multnomah County families who applied for Preschool for All during the initial application period received placement offers or were waitlisted for placement on June 3. The program offered immediate placements to 88% of current applicants. Families have until June 17 to accept or deny their placement offers.
“Our Application and Enrollment Team has been hard at work to ensure families are placed at a preschool that works for them, while also determining where remaining seats are located ahead of the second application period,” said Preschool for All Director Danisa McLean. “This has historically been an important part of the program, as it allows families who missed the first deadline to apply. It also allows our providers additional time to reach out to families and get more applications for their locations.”
Families can visit the Preschool for All website to submit an application and see a list of preschools that still have open seats. Placement offers will be made roughly every two weeks throughout the year as long as there are seats open. Going forward, families will have one week after receiving placement offers to accept them. Final enrollment numbers will not be available until October.
Help with family applications
Preschool for All offers application support through its website, step-by-step videos, and direct support from its Application and Enrollment team. Families can watch Preschool for All family application videos to learn more about eligibility, how to choose preschool options, and what happens after they apply. Families can also get help with a Preschool for All application if they have questions or want support. Families who already applied do not need to reapply, they can update their selections by contacting the Application and Enrollment Team.
Our Application and Enrollment Team can be reached at pfa.support@multco.us or 503-988-7818
About placement offers
Family choice is an important aspect of Preschool for All and can impact placements and enrollment overall. When applying for the program, families are encouraged to research participating preschools and choose at least one but as many as eight preschool options. Families will be offered placements only to the schools they choose; some individual schools may have more demand than space.
Here are some reasons a family may be waitlisted for placement
If a family's top-ranked choice has no capacity, and the family is offered placement at another school they selected, they may decide to decline the offer and be placed on the waitlist for their preferred school(s).
If all of a family's selected schools are at capacity, the family will be put on a waitlist for their chosen schools and will not receive an immediate placement offer. In these cases, the program will work with the family to find other placement options.
A family's selected preschool(s) may be operated by a school district that requires students to reside within district boundaries. If the family does not meet those residency requirements, they may be ineligible for placement at that site.
Families had two weeks to accept or deny their placement offers. They can also choose to edit their previous application to include other preschool options. Once they receive a placement offer, families enroll directly with their preschool provider ahead of the school year.
About Preschool for All
Preschool for All is a locally funded program offering free, high-quality preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds in Multnomah County. Launched in fall 2022 following support from voters in November 2020, Preschool for All aims for universal access by 2030. The program supports small businesses, pays educators wages above the state average, and ensures children have safe, engaging spaces to learn and grow. Learn more at pfa.multco.us.
