By Steve Hunt:

Thriving was the word First Lady of Virginia Pam Northam used to describe the young children she visited with at a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the expansion of United Communitys Early Learning Center on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019.

With the expansion of the infant suite, the Early Learning Center now has the capacity to serve up to 96 children, with 16 slots dedicated to the largest gap United Communitys low-income clients encounter affordable infant care.

Northam was the special guest and keynote speaker at the ceremony. She described the expansion of the Early Learning Center as an incredible victory for this community, and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

In stressing the importance of early childhood education in ensuring that a child gets off to a good start, Northam quoted a friend saying: What happens in early childhood doesnt stay in early childhood.

As a a former pediatric occupational therapist who is married to Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, a pediatric neurologist, she noted that her husband ran his campaign to make early childhood education a top priority, and he is doing just that.

She cited among his accomplishments regarding improving access to early childhood education his creation of the position of a chief readiness officer tasked with helping to prepare all Virginia children for kindergarten by supporting birth to five-year-old programming.

At present, 43 percent of children enter kindergarten without the skills they need to succeed, according to Northam, adding that the number is even higher among low-income children.

Those with the greatest need are left behind, she said.

Northam also told the crowd gathered at the Early Learning Center, located in Bryant Alternative High School, to stay tuned for Governor Northams announcement regarding a historic investment in early childhood education.

In closing, Northam commended United Community and the educators and caregivers at the Early Learning Center for seeing the need for early childhood education, and responding.

I consider these people my heroes, she said.

Among the dignitaries in attendance were state Dels. Paul Krizek (D-44th) and Mark Sickles (D-43rd); Assistant Superintendent for the Fairfax County Public Schools Nardos King, a former chairman of the board of United Community Ministries, now United Community; and Fairfax County School Board Mount Vernon Representative and Board Chairman Karen Corbett Sanders.

Speaking from personal experience, Krizek noted that his daughter Khloe, now a freshman at Ithaca College, got her start there when it was known as UCMs Bryant Early Learning (BEL) Center.

It all started here, commented Krizek, speaking of his daughters educational journey from preschool to college.

Krizek commended United Community on its 50 years of service to the community.

Its been a big year for United Community, he said. It seems like every single week theres another new exciting announcement.

In her remarks, United Community Executive Director Alison DeCourcey noted that as the leading human services agency in the area, the organization serves between 8,000 and 9,000 disadvantaged residents living along the Richmond Highway corridor each year, with 40 percent of those being children.

About 85 percent of United Communitys clients earn incomes below the federal poverty line thats a family of four struggling to get by on about $26,000 a year, DeCourcey said.

With a mission to empower our neighbors in need to transform their lives, we work with a laser focus to answer the many pressing needs of our community from emergency food aid to eviction assistance, from youth empowerment to ESL (English as a Second Language) and immigration services, from job readiness to child abuse prevention services, and more, she said.

DeCourcey told the audience that right now, you are sitting in a childcare desert. Simply put, a neighborhood where so few options for early childcare exist that there are more than three times as many children as licensed child care slots.

She noted that in this desert, many child care providers offer half-day preschool for toddlers to pre-K, which is a problem for many of the working parents served by United Community.

For many of them, their reality is that after just 6-12 weeks of maternity leave, family economics require a new mom return to work, she said.

The expanded ELC can serve up to 96 children ranging in age from six weeks to five years old, and specifically increases its most in-demand classroom, the Infant Suite, from eight to 14 beds.

ELC Director Torria Baker noted that the United Community has operated the ELC for 36 years, priding itself on providing curriculum-based childhood education that promotes the social and emotional development of every child.

We recognize that many of our parents face difficult challenges, said Baker.

Thats why we give our kids every resource they need including free vision, dental, and auditory screenings to help them grow and achieve their maximum potential.

From her admittedly biased opinion, Baker said that truly serving our United Community cannot be achieved without the early childcare provided by this Early Learning Center. Thats because a good start in life is so vital for the future success of children.

Numerous studies have found that early childhood learning programs can change the trajectory of their life to include increasing educational attainment, decreasing thinned for remedial education services, expanding their earning potential into adulthood, and even lowering rates of substance abuse.

So we celebrate our expansion of these critical new beds and we dedicate ourselves to providing the best care available, said Baker.

Because we know that the babies, toddlers and young students napping, playing and learning here may be future presidents, first ladies or teachers, and we need them to be at their best.

DeCourcey noted that the expansion was made possible by the contributions of the generous supporters of United Community, particularly the John Ben Snow Memorial Trust.

United Community (formerly United Community Ministries) is the only agency in southeastern Fairfax County offering a comprehensive suite of integrated, multi-generational and evidence-based approaches focused on eradicating poverty. Its mission is to empower our neighbors in need to transform their lives.

To learn more about the Early Learning Center or the United Community and its programs or volunteer opportunities, or to make a contribution, contact info@unitedcommunity.org or visit unitedcommunity.org.

Featured photo: Pam Northam spent several minutes visiting with staff and children at the ELC following the ribbon cutting ceremony (Credit: Steve Hunt).

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Virginia's First Lady attends ribbon cutting of expanded United Community Early Learning Center - Fort Hunt Herald