The Ark Preschool

The Ark is the only state-accredited preschool for children whose families are experiencing homelessness in Baltimore City. The school serves children ages 3 and 4 years old whose families are homeless and/or in the early stages of addiction recovery. The Ark is open from 8:30am until 2:45pm Monday through Friday, and is licensed to enroll 20 children at a time. The Ark serves over 60 children annually in a year-round educational setting with an MSDE-approved curriculum. Children participate in Ark programming for an average of 4 ½ months. Children are assessed upon arrival using The Ark’s evaluation tool called the Child Assessment Protocol (CAP), which provides an accurate and meaningful evaluation of children enrolled in a short-term emergency preschool setting. The CAP assesses language skills, word acquisition, listening and comprehension, gross and fine motor skills, and social behavior, and is predictive of standardized test results.

While at The Ark, children receive:

Early childhood education designed to promote their development
Individualized attention to promote social skills development
Nutritionally balanced meals and snacks
A safe and calm place where they can play and socialize

Children are referred to The Ark from a number of Baltimore shelter programs including My Sister's Place, the Salvation Army Booth House, Karis Home, and Sarah's Hope at Mount Street, the Rose Street Shelter, and the South Baltimore Homeless Shelter at Christ Lutheran Church. Some families are referred by treatment programs. Others hear about us from parents who have used our services.