If you’re a parent in the Cherry Hill, New Jersey area looking for the right preschool or daycare for your child, you’ve probably heard about free pre-K through New Jersey’s Preschool Expansion Program (PEP). As the owner of Sunny Days Children’s Academy, and as a parent myself, I completely understand why families want to compare free pre-K in Cherry Hill with a private, full-day preschool.
Let me say this up front: free pre-K is a wonderful program, and I’m glad New Jersey offers it to families. This isn’t about which option is “better.” It’s about which one fits your child and your family’s day.
What I’ve learned is that every family wants the same things: a safe, nurturing place where their child will be loved, supported, and prepared for kindergarten. But choosing a preschool isn’t as simple as comparing tuition. When families book a tour of our center and learn more about what we offer, many discover differences that matter a lot to working parents.
Free Pre-K Hours vs. a Working Parent’s Day
One of the biggest differences between Sunny Days Children’s Academy and Cherry Hill’s free pre-K is the schedule. We’re built around the needs of working families.
In Cherry Hill, free pre-K is a full-day program, but full day means a school day: Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., following the district’s school calendar. That works well for some families, but it also means summer break, school holidays, and early dismissals to plan around. Here at Sunny Days, we’re open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., year-round, and we’re open on most days the district is closed. Drop-off and pick-up fit a real workday.
To be fair, the district does offer before- and after-care at every pre-K site, arranged and paid for separately through each location, and some families make that work well. For many others, one place with one schedule is a game-changer. There’s no need to find someone to watch your child before school starts or after it ends, or to scramble when school is out for a holiday. And you don’t have to piece together before-care, after-care, and summer camp just to get through the year, especially before your child is even in elementary school.
At Sunny Days, your child spends the whole day, all year long, in one familiar, safe place, surrounded by teachers who know and care about them.
A Preschool Curriculum That Builds Kindergarten Readiness
One question we hear often is, “Will my child get a well-rounded education?”
The answer is yes. Our children take part in a structured, engaging preschool program designed to prepare them for kindergarten and beyond.
At Sunny Days Children’s Academy, we use The Creative Curriculum (see it in action in our post on teaching story sequencing in Pre-K), one of the most widely used early childhood programs in the country. It’s the same research-based curriculum used in Cherry Hill’s free pre-K classrooms, and it’s aligned with New Jersey’s Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards. So your child gets the same strong educational foundation, plus a full workday of care.
Our classrooms focus on:
- Early literacy and language development
- Problem-solving skills
- Science exploration
- Social-emotional development
- Fine and gross motor skills
- Creative expression
- Independence and confidence
Most importantly, our children learn through hands-on experiences, meaningful conversations, exploration, and play. We believe children learn best when they’re actively engaged: asking questions, making discoveries, and having fun.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Snacks Included
Let’s be honest: mornings can be hectic. Between getting everyone dressed, packing bags, and racing out the door, preparing meals every day can feel like one more thing on an already full plate.
At Sunny Days Children’s Academy, we provide breakfast, lunch, and snacks made in our in-house kitchen. For busy parents, that’s one less thing to worry about, and families appreciate knowing their children are eating nutritious meals throughout the day.
Relationships Matter
One thing I’m proudest of at Sunny Days is the relationships we build with children and their families. To us, it’s never just drop-off and pick-up. We celebrate milestones, cheer children on when they learn something new, comfort them on tough days, and make a point to communicate with families, because we know how important those connections are.
Many of our families have been with us for years, some since 2013, when we first opened our doors. There’s nothing more rewarding than watching a child grow from infancy or toddlerhood into a confident preschooler ready for kindergarten.
A Place Where Children Feel They Belong
Children thrive when they feel safe, loved, and valued. When families tour Sunny Days Children’s Academy, one of the first things they notice is the warm atmosphere in our classrooms.
You’ll see children engaged in learning, laughing with friends, creating art, exploring new ideas, and building confidence every day. You’ll also see teachers who genuinely enjoy what they do.
Early childhood education is about so much more than letters and numbers. It’s about helping children develop confidence, friendships, communication skills, resilience, and a love of learning: the skills that help them succeed in kindergarten and throughout their lives.
The Consistency Children Need
Young children do best with routines and familiar faces. At Sunny Days, children spend their days with teachers who know them well and understand their personalities, strengths, and needs. That consistency helps them feel secure and confident.
And because we care for children from infancy through Pre-K, siblings can be under one roof, and your child doesn’t have to switch programs or start over somewhere new as they grow. For many families, having one trusted center instead of several programs and caregivers brings real peace of mind.
Why Families Choose Sunny Days for Preschool in Cherry Hill
When parents look for a preschool in Cherry Hill, they’re looking for much more than academics.
They want a place where their child will be safe. They want caring teachers. They want a strong educational foundation. They want flexibility that works with their schedule. They want communication. They want trust.
At Sunny Days Children’s Academy, we work hard every day to provide all of those things. We also accept NJ child care subsidy and offer part-time, half-day, and full-day options (including in our 3-year-old and 4-year-old classrooms), plus a 10% discount for active military families and a 10% sibling discount applied to the older child’s tuition.
Free Pre-K in Cherry Hill: Your Questions, Answered
Is pre-K free in Cherry Hill, NJ?
Yes. Cherry Hill Public Schools offers a free, full-day preschool program for 3- and 4-year-olds who live in Cherry Hill, with classrooms in district schools and at partner provider sites. Children must be 3 or 4 by October 1. Families register online with the district, and if there are more registrations than seats, the district uses a random selection process and keeps a waitlist. Before- and after-care is available for an additional cost. For current registration dates, check the preschool page at chclc.org.
Is free pre-K full day in NJ?
Yes, but “full day” means a school day. New Jersey’s state-funded preschool is a full-day program, and in Cherry Hill that means a six-hour day: Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. At Sunny Days, we’re open 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., which covers a typical workday and commute.
Does free pre-K include before and after care?
Not as part of the free program. Cherry Hill Public Schools offers before- and after-care at all of its preschool locations, including partner sites, but each site sets its own hours, tuition, and registration, and the cost isn’t covered by state preschool aid. At Sunny Days, our regular hours already run from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., so there’s no second program to coordinate.
Is pre-K year-round? Does free pre-K include summer?
Cherry Hill’s free pre-K follows the district’s school calendar, so it isn’t year-round. Children are off on school holidays and over summer break, though the district notes that individual locations may offer extra programming on days off or in the summer. Sunny Days is open year-round, including most days the district is closed.
Can I choose which free pre-K location my child attends in Cherry Hill?
No. According to the district, families can’t choose the site or the teacher. Children are assigned based on home address, with bus routes also factored in, and a seat at a child’s current child care center isn’t guaranteed. Families who want a specific preschool can always enroll with that school directly, and we’d love to show you ours.
What is the difference between preschool, pre-K, and daycare?
The terms overlap. “Pre-K” usually means the year or two right before kindergarten, and in New Jersey it often refers to free, state-funded programs. “Preschool” is a broader term for early learning programs for children about 3 to 5. “Daycare” or child care usually means full-day care for working families, often starting in infancy. Sunny Days is both: we care for children from infancy through Pre-K, and our preschool classrooms use The Creative Curriculum, the same curriculum used in Cherry Hill’s free pre-K, with full-day, year-round hours.
Tour Our Full-Day Preschool in Cherry Hill
Choosing a daycare or preschool is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a parent. The best way to know if a program is right for your family is to visit, ask questions, and see it for yourself.
If you’re weighing free pre-K against a full-day, year-round program, come see the difference for yourself. A tour takes just 15 to 30 minutes. You’ll meet our teachers, walk through our classrooms, and get honest answers to every question on your list (you can also browse our frequently asked questions), including how our schedule could fit your workday. We have openings right now in our 3- and 4-year-old classrooms.
Explore our classrooms
- Preschool 1 (ages 2½ to 3)
- Preschool 2 (ages 3 to 4)
- Pre-Kindergarten (ages 4 to 5)
- All classrooms, infants through Pre-K
👉 Schedule your tour online or call us at (856) 320-2001.
We’d love to meet your family and show you why so many local parents call Sunny Days Children’s Academy their home away from home.
— Victoria Kaminsky, Owner, Sunny Days Children’s Academy, 1210 Chambers Ave, Cherry Hill, NJ
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