Enrollment
Essential Requirements for Enrollment
Enrollment Forms
At Embrace Academy, the two primary criteria for enrollment are the child's age and the need for special services. Since we are a PreK program, all students are under the age of six, making age an easy factor to determine. Identifying the need for special services involves testing, which is influenced by the child's age and the agency responsible for the assessment. If you notice that your child is not talking, struggling to play with toys, having difficulty interacting with friends, or if you feel a professional assessment is needed, please reach out to Early Steps or Child Find. Early identification of needs and risk factors allows for timely help, intervention, and support. For children under three, testing is conducted through the Early Steps program, while those over three are assessed through Child Find, part of the Collin County School District.
The Process (Birth to Three)
Both of these programs typically have busy schedules, making it challenging to secure a timely appointment for testing.​ Once the assessment is finished, the testing agency will share the results with you. If your child requires special services, you have several options. For children under three, Early Steps may recommend services like early intervention or therapy. For children over three, school district will meet with you to enrolling your child in one of their PreK ESE classrooms.
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The Academy
At Embrace Academy, we take a unique approach by welcoming children under the age of three into our classrooms. Our students typically range from two to five years old, and we offer full-time program aligned with the traditional Polk County Schools calendar. The school day runs from 9 AM to 4PM, five days a week, during which we provide therapy and other essential services. With seven classrooms serving up to 150 students, we maintain a capacity of 157 throughout the year, ensuring a developmentally supportive environment where teachers can tailor activities to meet the needs of each child.
Classrooms
All classrooms at Embrace Academy are led by certified teachers, supported by one or two paraprofessionals. We provide breakfast and lunch sourced from local elementary schools, accommodating most special diets. A typical school day mirrors that of any preschool, featuring individual and small group play, circle time, outdoor activities, reading, technology use, arts and crafts, and naptime. Throughout these activities, we intentionally incorporate opportunities for students to work on their goals and engage in their individualized therapy. We also value parent involvement, with a dedicated Resource Parent organizing monthly breakfast meetings at each campus, featuring speakers on topics that matter to our families.
Enrollment Process
Once you decide to enroll at Embrace Academy, please download and complete our student application, then MAIL the completed application to us. The postmark date will determine your child's position on our waiting list. Upon receiving your application, we will send you a letter confirming its receipt. If your child may be eligible for special services, we will need copies of the relevant testing results. You can submit these results along with the current FSP or IEP (if applicable) with your application; if they are not available at that time, please send the documentation to us as soon as possible.
All of our services are provided free of charge for children and families in Collin County. We can offer these services at no cost thanks to funding from United Way and the generosity of our donors. If you're interested in Embrace Learning Academy’s Birth to Three program, which supports children up to three years old who may be at risk for developmental delays, please click here or contact our Plano office at (Number will be inserted) for more information. Our ESE Prekindergarten Charter School provides educational services for children with special needs ages two to five. To enroll in Embrace Learning Academy’s Charter School, parents or guardians must complete and mail an application to the Plano office.
Important Information for Parents
It’s understandable that this may all feel overwhelming, especially if your child is very young and you’ve recently learned about some developmental delays. This is a lot to process, and you’re likely facing important decisions. Rest assured, we’re here to support you. If you have any or need more information after reading this, please don’t hesitate to reach out to ESE Facilitator, Tammie Jones.
It is important to submit all requested documentation to Embrace Academy as soon as possible; incomplete information may delay your child's entry into our school. To verify that we’ve received your documentation or to check on your child’s status, please call Tammie Jones at [phone number] or email at [email address]. Our total capacity for Embrace Academy is 157 students, and we maintain this capacity year-round. We typically celebrate the graduation of 45-50 students at the end of the year, which opens up slots for the upcoming school year that are offered to children on our waiting list. Additionally, if any slots become available during the school year due to student withdrawals, we will notify the next child on the waiting list for that classroom opening. Embrace Academy is committed to serving the large geographic area of Collin County.
Embrace Academy, in accordance with our contract with Collin County schools, offers enrollment preference to eligible siblings of current students, children of school employees, children of governing members, and any other students as authorized by Florida law. Recent legislation also outlines specific provisions for preferential treatment regarding controlled open enrollment.
Dependent children of active military personnel who relocate due to military orders. Children who have been moved as a result of a foster care placement in a different school zone. Children who change residence due to a court-ordered custody change stemming from separation, divorce, or the serious illness or death of a custodial parent. Students living within the school district. for PreK ESE must be met before priority placement is applied.
