If planning to send a child to preschool in the next year or two — and affording it is an issue — an upcoming program at The Morristown & Morris Township Library will help resolve concerns.

On Jan. 19,  Preschool Advantage, the Morristown-based nonprofit that funds preschool for families in need, will present a free informational session, “Finding the Best Preschool for Your Child — And Not Letting It Break Your Bank,” at 7 p.m. at the library.

The session, which will be led by Eugene Huang, the incoming president of the organization, will help parents, grandparents and others better understand the importance of a preschool education, how it differs from childcare, whether their children qualify for a public program, the various private options and how to select a high-quality school.  The session also will explore ways to pay for preschool.

“Research has shown that sending a child to preschool pays off by narrowing the potential learning, and ultimately earnings, gap among peers,” said Molly Dunn, executive director of Preschool Advantage.  “We hope to answer many parents’ questions about navigating the confusing preschool patchwork and identifying a quality program in which they can place their child.”

Dunn also emphasized the opportunity for parents to learn more about paying the high cost of a private program, the only option available to most local families. “There are many families in Morris County who are just making ends meet, yet their only options are to send, or not to send, their child to an expensive private program,” she said. “The information session and our organization can help them manage the bite on the family budget.”

Preschool Advantage, a nonprofit organization established in 1995, seeks to improve local communities by funding quality preschool for three- and four-year-old children of families in need.  During the 2016-2017 school year, Preschool Advantage is sending 70 children to 17 carefully selected partner preschools in Boonton, Bridgewater, Denville, Dover, Jefferson, Madison, Mendham, Morristown, Morris Plains, Mountain Lakes, Mount Olive and Parsippany. Recently, an 18^th partner school was added in Bernardsville. More information on the organization can be found at https://www.preschooladvantage.org.