Prospective - Small Steps Nurturing Center

The application period for new students is typically open for two weeks in the winter prior to the upcoming school year.

Does your child qualify for Small Steps?

Will your child be between the ages of 2 and 4 on September 1?
Does your family qualify for the National Free and Reduced Lunch Program? (Not sure? Click here for more information.
Do you live in one of the following ZIP codes?
- Applying to the Fifth Ward Campus: 77003, 77007, 77008, 77009, 77019, 77020, 77026, 77016, 77022, 77028, 77076, 77093
- Applying to the Gulfton Campus: 77027, 77031, 77036, 77056, 77057, 77074, 77081, 77096, 77401
Are you willing and able to complete 10 (15 if more than one child) “tuition hours”?
- These hours can be completed through parent education classes or volunteering at Small Steps.

If you answered yes to all of these questions, you are eligible to apply for a spot at Small Steps for your child.

Please complete our online application here for the 2026-2027 school year.

Small Steps will review applications and your provided documents and will then send status letters in April indicating whether your student has received a spot. Once accepted, families will be asked to complete the necessary enrollment paperwork to complete their enrollment process and secure their student’s spot for the following school year. If your family does not qualify via zip code to attend or you do not receive a spot due to demand, we will automatically add you to the waitlist.

Missing some documents? Upload them here!

Prospective Families

Welcome! Small Steps believes in building a community of support for our students and our families.

Please consider joining this special community at Small Steps!

Small Steps serves students ages 2 through 5, at no cost to our families.

The application period for new students is typically open for two weeks in the winter prior to the upcoming school year.

Questions about the application and enrollment process?

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