TL;DR: A Birmingham child's funding changes shape between age 4 and age 5. At 4, First Class Pre-K is free with no income test, but each site fills seats by random drawing. At 5, the CHOOSE Act's $7,000 ESA becomes available for K5 at a participating school. Working parents can bridge the hours around both with DHR's child care subsidy or Childcare Resources.
Is First Class Pre-K really free for a Birmingham 4-year-old?
Yes. The Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education charges no registration fee and states that no child can be denied pre-K because of family income. A child must live in Alabama and be 4 on September 1 of the school year; a child who is already eligible for kindergarten is not eligible. A First Class Pre-K day lasts 6.5 hours.
Quality is the program's calling card. NIEER has ranked it the nation's highest-quality state pre-K for 20 consecutive years, and its 2025 yearbook counts 24,238 children enrolled statewide in 2024-25, with state spending of $7,651 per child. Alabama added 64 new classrooms for 2026-27.
How do families get a seat, and when?
By registering online and hoping the drawing goes your way. Each site holds a random selection drawing and keeps a randomized waitlist, and a child can sit on more than one site's waitlist, so registering for several sites near home or work is the sensible move. You need a birth certificate and proof of residence to register, with immunization records due at enrollment.
For 2026-27, pre-registration ran from January 15 to March 11, 2026. ADECE had not posted the 2027-28 window when we checked on October 28, 2026, so treat January as the month to watch, not a confirmed date.
When does the CHOOSE Act take over?
At K5. The ESA serves K5 through grade 12, and for 2026-27 a kindergarten applicant had to turn 5 by September 1, 2026. The $7,000 then pays tuition and approved fees at a participating school. Because the CHOOSE Act application window runs in the winter before the school year, a family whose child is in pre-K this year applies for K5 while the child is still 4.
| Stage | Main public funding | Income test | How you get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 4 | DHR child care subsidy; Childcare Resources (birth to 5) | Yes | Apply to the managing agency; waiting lists possible |
| Age 4 | First Class Pre-K | No | Online registration; random drawing at each site |
| K5 and up | CHOOSE Act ESA ($7,000 at a participating school) | None from 2027-28 | Statewide application each winter |
What does the calendar look like for a child who turns 4 in 2027?
If ADECE keeps the rule it used this year, a child who is 4 on September 1, 2027 is in the 2027-28 First Class Pre-K group, and registration would fall in early 2027. The same child would then be K5-eligible for 2028-29, which means the CHOOSE Act application for kindergarten would come during the winter of 2027-28, while the child is in pre-K. In other words, a family applies for free pre-K and, a year later, for the ESA, with both windows landing in roughly the same part of the calendar.
Those future dates are projections from the current rules, not announcements. Check our deadline list, which we update when ADECE and ALDOR post new windows.
Free pre-K vs paid private pre-K
Paid private pre-K is not funded by the CHOOSE Act. Our directory shows 49 schools in Jefferson and Shelby counties that enroll pre-K children, and 21 programs that stop before first grade, many of them weekday ministries of local churches. Only 2 of those 21 are on the CHOOSE Act participating list, and that matters only once a child reaches K5. First Class Pre-K classrooms can sit in public schools, child care centers, Head Start programs and faith-based centers, so before paying private pre-K tuition, ask the school whether it hosts a funded classroom. You can browse the preschool directory by area.
Who helps with child care outside pre-K hours?
Two programs. DHR's Child Care Subsidy Program is managed for Jefferson and Shelby by Child Care Central's Birmingham Region office. New applicants qualify up to 180% of the federal poverty level and can continue up to 200%, and the weekly fee per child runs from $0 below poverty upward by income tier. Childcare Resources' Supplemental Child Care Program serves children from birth until kindergarten eligibility in Blount, Jefferson, Shelby and Walker counties, requires at least 30 working hours a week, and keeps a first-come waiting list with reviews taking up to 90 days.
| DHR income tier (share of poverty level) | Weekly fee per child |
|---|---|
| Under 100% | $0 |
| 101-110% | $18 |
| 171-180% | $39 |
| 181-190% (continuing families) | $42 |
| 191-200% (continuing families) | $45 |
The CHOOSE Act cannot fill this gap later: before- and after-care fees and child care are on its excluded list. Details are on our child care subsidy page.
Frequently asked questions
Is First Class Pre-K really free for a Birmingham 4-year-old?
Yes, there is no fee and no income test for an Alabama child who is 4 on September 1, though seats are assigned by random drawing at each site.
How do families get a seat, and when?
Register online with ADECE for several sites; the 2026-27 window ran January 15 to March 11, 2026, and 2027-28 dates were not yet posted.
When does the CHOOSE Act take over?
At K5: the $7,000 ESA serves K5 through grade 12, and families apply in the winter before the kindergarten year.
Who helps with child care outside pre-K hours?
DHR's subsidy, managed locally by Child Care Central, and Childcare Resources' Supplemental Child Care Program for children under 5.
What does the calendar look like for a child who turns 4 in 2027?
Under current rules, pre-K registration in early 2027 for 2027-28, then a CHOOSE Act application for K5 during the winter of 2027-28.
Related questions
- How does First Class Pre-K registration work?
- What pre-K and child care help is available in Birmingham?
- What won't the ESA pay for?
- When do 2027-28 CHOOSE Act applications open?
Sources
- ADECE, First Class Pre-K
- NIEER, State of Preschool 2025: Alabama
- Alabama DHR, Child Care Fact Sheet (Jan. 1, 2026)
- Childcare Resources, Financial Assistance
- ClassWallet, CHOOSE Act Alabama Parent Guide 2026-2027
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