The Child Parent Education Centers, funded through Title I of the Elementary Secondary Education Act of 1965, are administered by the Chicago Board of Education in areas characterized by a high density of low-income families. Approximately 2100 children, ages three through nine, are enrolled in the 11 centers which offer up to six years of education including two years of preschool education, kindergarten, and primary grades one, two, and three. The Child Parent Education Centers have the purpose of building, in early childhood, a strong foundation for cognitive and affective growth. The centers develop factors contributing to this foundation with programs using multiple techniques and approaches including: (1) direct parent involvement in the center program and in activites designed to meet parent needs; (2) elimination of factors, such as social and health problems, that may interfere with successful learning experiences; (3) use of learning materials which incorporate a specific learning approach; (4) structuring readiness and reading programs so the frequent feedback is available; and (5) directed experiences that contribute to skill development. Participants in the two year preschool program are selected from three and four year old children residing in the individual attendance areas. (Author/JM)