To make the joy of Jewish preschool available to even more families, the Jewish United Fund’s JUF Right Start program has expanded to include children as young as 6 weeks of age who are the first in their family to enroll in a Jewish early childhood program.

For a child attending five days a week, that’s up to $2,000 to help with tuition. Gifts of $500, $1,000 or $1,500 are available for children attending two, three or four days a week.

That’s especially good news right now, when many families are sorting through the options of where to send their young child next fall.

“Jewish preschools offer all the wonder and discovery of early childhood education, infused with the love and nurturing of Jewish life, values and ritual,” said JUF President Steven B. Nasatir. “We want every Jewish child, and their family, to have that experience, and to feel welcomed and supported by the Jewish community.”

JUF Right Start vouchers are available to any Jewish family in the Chicago area that, for the first time, enrolls a child in one of the dozens of participating Jewish preschool programs. The child must be the first sibling in the family to attend Jewish preschool.

The program, created in Chicago, has become a model for similar efforts around the country.

To find out more and see a list of participating schools, visit www.juf.org/rightstartor call 312-357-4513.

JUF Right Start is made possible by grants from the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, the Steven B. Nasatir New Directions Fund, and an anonymous donor.