Children’s House Preschool Admissions

Currently FULL for new preschoolers for 2026-27

Apply for Waitlist

Application Process

Step 1: Learn more about Willow Oak Montessori

Read about the Montessori educational philosophy and our Children’s House Program. We encourage all prospective families to attend one of our Prospective Parent information sessions in the Fall or Winter to learn more about our school to see if it is the right fit for your child and your family. If there are no sessions scheduled or if you cannot attend a session, please submit an inquiry and we will send you more information about our school.

Step 2: Submit an application

In mid-February, we will open the application for new preschool students for the upcoming school year. There is a $75 non-refundable fee to apply.

Step 3: Complete the student questionnaire

As part of your application, we ask all families to complete a student questionnaire to help us get to know your student and your family better. We ask you to be as candid as possible. Your application is not considered complete until this is submitted.

Step 4: Offers extended

Beginning in early-mid March, enrollment offers will be extended to new families. You will have 7 days to secure your spot once you have been offered admission. We will continue enrolling full- and half-day students until we are fully enrolled for the year. If you are applying later in the cycle, please reach out to determine if there are spots remaining before submitting your application.

For questions about preschool admissions, please contact Children’s House Director Emily Vance or Admissions Coordinator Susannah Hunter.

Si necesitas asistencia en Espanol, por favor llama a Noemi Plata, (919) 240-7787 ext. 201.

Full-Day Preschool (8:20am - 3:00pm) $12,810 per year ($1,281 per month)

Half-Day Preschool (8:20am - 11:45am) $9,555 per year ($955.50 per month)

  • Application Fee: $75

  • One-time joining fee: $400 per student

  • Deposit: 1/10th of annual tuition due at enrollment

  • Tuition is paid in 10 monthly installments July through May with no payment due in February, as that is the month many families are re-enrolling. Tuition is paid one month in advance, and 1/10th of the security deposit is applied to the account each month until tuition is paid in full for the year.

  • Financial Aid is available. You will have the option to choose this when applying.

Extended Day options are available and billed separately. 

Tuition & Fees for 2026-27

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The Children's House preschool program is open to students who are at least 3 years old but will not turn 5 on or before August 31 of the current year. Children who are age-eligible for Kindergarten per NC State law must apply for Kindergarten admission through our Charter school lottery. If your child will not be 3 at the start of the school year but you would like for them to attend part-way through the year, please reach out to the Children's House director to inquire about availability.

  • Yes. Children need to be able to take care of their toileting needs with minimal to no assistance. 

  • No. The Children's House preschool follows the same calendar as the public Charter school. We operate from late August until early June, with breaks in the Fall, Winter, and Spring, as well as occasional days off for teacher workdays or holidays. Our current school calendar can be viewed here.

  • We have three multi-age classrooms made up of both preschoolers and public Charter kindergarteners. Each class serves approximately 25 children ranging in age from 3 to 6 years old. A fourth classroom serves our full-day preschoolers in the afternoons. Our student-teacher ratio is approximately 13:1. 

  • Drop off for all Children's House students is 8:05am - 8:20am at the Children's House gate. Half-day preschoolers are picked up between 11:45am and noon at the gate between the Piedmont and the Mountains buildings, and full-day preschoolers are picked up from Chestnut between 3:00pm and 3:20pm. Kindergarten dismissal is 3:20 - 3:40pm in front of Piedmont with the rest of the Charter School students. 

  • All Children's House students participate in a work cycle, circle time, snack (provided by the school), and outdoor recess each day. After half-day preschoolers are dismissed, full-day preschoolers are dismissed to another classroom to eat lunch with their class and then get ready for nap/rest time followed by some additional outdoor/free play.

  • Yes! Weather permitting, children spend time on the playground each day. Each class also has its own outdoor learning environment that is an extension of the classroom where students currently eat lunch except during inclement weather.

  • Yes! Families can add on before- and/or after-school care for an additional fee. Before-school care begins at 7:30am and is run by Camp AMP in the Coastal Plains building, and after school is held in Chestnut and runs until 6:00pm. More details can be found here.

  • As required by law, no priority is given to Children’s House students in the K-8 Public Charter School lottery. See our Admissions Policy.