Now is the time of year when  parents of 3 and 4-year-olds fill out applications, take deep breaths, and then…wait. The pre-K application period begins today, Monday March 7, but placement letters won’t go out until early June. So how’s a parent to plan ahead?

For some 4-year-olds, winning a spot in a public pre-K program will mean the difference between school or no school next year – end of story. Parents who can afford to (and some who can't) may plunk down hefty deposits at private preschools, in case their public option eludes them. With our first daughter, we had to pay two successive deposits by the time we got the Department of Education letter–and ended up forfeiting the money when she got into PS 29. It was a bitter pill to swallow but worth it in the long run: the alternative was an expensive half-day program that lacked many of the opportunities she had at PS 29.

We were lucky–that year (2008), newcomers actually had a shot. Last year, word spread quickly that younger siblings would entirely fill the pre-K spots – in other words, forget it if you didn’t actually have an older child already enrolled. Things weren't much better at nearby PS 58 or PS 261; families made other arrangements. My friend Millie, who lives right across the street from PS 29, knew her son had a near-zero chance there, so they set their sights on a school they knew might offer space: PS 38, in neighboring Boerum Hill. The school has historically been under-enrolled, but as the neighborhood grows ever more popular, it has popped onto more parents’ radar. Millie reports that her son’s pre-K class “has many kids from PS 29, PS 58, and PS 261 zones.” Her family’s experience has been a happy one, aside from the daily trek across three school zones to get there. The classroom has three teachers for 20 kids, good facilities, and a supportive community.

This scenario isn't playing out just in our little corner of Brooklyn. Even before they enter public school, parents have to become super-sleuths, to figure out which schools may have spots for their preschoolers. The directory of the city's public pre-K programs is now online and available in enrollment offices and at most elementary schools.

If you’re willing to look beyond the school down the block, you may have more options than you think–so make sure to do your research and fill in more than just your #1 choice. And don’t forget about CBOs (community-based organizations). These pre-K providers, located anywhere from the neighborhood “Y” to a local private preschool, are not always free but are worth a look; they often offer at least some reduction in tuition as well as seats you can't get through the public school lottery. (See this article by Judy Baum for more information.)

Why all this scrambling for pre-K spots? While some may cynically dismiss the programs as "subsidized daycare," I have seen something quite different through my experience with two kids in public pre-K. It's an important growth year, when children learn to work in groups, adapt to a structured day, exercise self-control, and gain pre-reading and pre-math skills. Kindergarten is much more academic than it used to be, and a pre-K class with a good balance of play and learning can ease the transition.

In her recent Daily Show appearance, educator and author Diane Ravitch spoke of the importance of pre-K programs in helping to close the achievement gap and decreasing kids' odds of failure in school. Indeed, New York City needs to broaden its options for public pre-K programs – these great opportunities are not available to everyone.

Are you applying for this year? What's your back-up plan if your first choice doesn't come through? Keep in mind that there is always a second (and sometimes even third or fourth) round of applications, so if you don't get a match in June, you'll have another opportunity to apply in the summer and even into the fall -- although that is too late in the season for many families.