In past years, Gallimore has offered two preschool educational programs at no charge, accommodating up to forty students. Three-year-olds attend school two mornings per week from 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; four and five-year-olds attend three mornings per week. Each session includes educational and socialization activities, concluding with a nutritious lunch. Students are given a chance to explore the areas of music, science, art, and constructive play while developing their visual, motor, and pre-reading skills.

The program also provides free diagnostic testing, and teaches fundamental moral values as well as such basics as hygiene, nutrition, and proper behavior in a school setting.

Families qualify to participate in Gallimore Learning Center’s programs by demonstrating financial need. Some preference is given to those students whose families (with demonstrated need) have previously participated in the Gallimore Program. Preference is also given to certain students with special needs who are identified and referred by Henrico County Department of Social Services or similar agencies as being particularly likely to benefit from the Gallimore program.

In keeping with its mission to support low-income families by preparing children for school and improving parents’ self-sufficiency, the Gallimore Learning Center broadened its offerings, beginning in 1996, to address the three levels of care required by welfare parents who return to work. While broadening its programs, however, Gallimore will retained the successful elements of its preschool program.