City Seats for Families

 To be eligible for City Seats, children must be:

• a resident of Orleans Parish;
• be under age four (as of September 30);
• and meet income requirements.

• Free, full-time care (Monday-Friday)
• Free hearing and vision screenings
• A developmental screening, and referrals to other services if necessary
• Additional support for City Seats teachers and children from multiple wraparound support partners
• Access to the Children’s Hospital ThriveKids team to help with early intervention, assessment, and extra support and care coordination for children with complex medical, developmental, or behavioral needs
• Social work services for any family who would like extra support with housing, transportation, medical resources, etc.
• For more information, please e-mail: cityseats@agendaforchildren.org

Children get matched to seats either by:

• Applying for a seat through the Main Round of NOLA-PS Common Application Process (NCAP): The “main round” application process for the following school year usually opens in January and closes in March. Families must apply and submit all required documents in order to be considered for a seat. Match results come out in April. If a child is matched to a program during Main Round, their families will receive an email or text (and have information in their common application account) letting them know they have received a City Seat spot. They can then accept the spot and follow the instructions on how to register their child in that program. Children who don’t get matched to a seat will get placed on waitlists for their top choices, and may be offered a seat if other families decline their offers or leave a program.

or

• Applying during “open enrollment”: Families can apply for a seat throughout the summer and school year through the “open enrollment” process. In most cases, qualifying children will apply for a seat and get placed on the wait lists of programs families would like to attend. If a spot opens up, their families will receive a text, email and/or phone call to let them know that they can accept a seat. If they accept, they’ll receive instructions on how to register with that program.

Children who receive higher priority for admission to a City Seats center include:

• children with an identified disability as documented by an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individual Education Plan (IEP)
• children who have a sibling already in the City Seats program at that center; and,
• children who are homeless or are in foster care.

1. Visit the NOLA Public Schools Enrollment page to:
   • See all of the early childhood programs that offer free seats 
   • Apply for publicly funded seats in an early childhood education program, whether that program is located in a school, early learning center, or Head Start
2. Once you’ve narrowed your list of choices, call the centers you’re interested in with any questions you might have, or to see if you can arrange a tour.
3. Visit a Family Resource Center for hands-on help in navigating the enrollment process.

• All parents and guardians of children in City Seats sign an MOU. If you have a question, check the MOU and see if it answers your question.
•  Reach out to us through our Family Feedback Form.