Your Input on Use-Permit for Early HeadStart Program at AMCC

Post date: Sep 6, 2013 5:10:11 AM

Dear Neighbors, Friends.

Northern Virginia Family Service is applying for a use-permit to operate an early childhood education program at Arlington Mill Community Center.

Below are details of that Program. Please let me know if you have any concerns by Sept 25,2013.

Thank you

Lilly Mancilla

www.columbiaheightswest.com

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Good Afternoon,

My name is Malinda Langford. I am the Senior VP for the Child, Youth , and Family Division of Northern Virginia Family Service. Northern Virginia Family Service is a private non-profit organization dedicated to helping vulnerable families and children. Our agency has provided Early Head Start ( Infant Toddler) programming and services in Arlington County through both Home-Based ( home visiting) and Center Based for more than 10 years. We opened a Head Start Center (preschool) in 2008 on North George Mason where 204 3-5 year olds are served year round.

We are currently seeking a User Permit from the Zoning Board to provide expanded Early Head Start services for 24 children in the Arlington Mill Community Center. Part of the application process is to have feed-back and hopefully approval from the surrounding civic associations for such a use of the space. The center will operate Monday through Friday , year round except for holidays and training days for staff from 7:00am until 4:30 pm. As I said it will serve 24 children and will have 10 staff persons; Center Manager, Family Advocate , 6 Primary Teachers, and 2 Teacher’s Aides. We will serve two catered meals and a snack, and babies will be fed on demand The program will provide all formula and diapers used at the center. A Toddler sized playground has been constructed and will have shared use between the community and the school when it is in session and full community use when the center is not in session. The ages of the children will range from 6 weeks to 3 years of age. When children turn three they will apply to the Head Start Center and when accepted will enroll there. There are currently 24 families who live in and around the Arlington Mill community who are participating in our Early Head Start Home-Based program. This program will convert into a Center –based program once we are able to move into the space.