Bryant Alternative High School's Early Learning Center Expanded

GROVETON, VA — Virginia First Lady Pamela Northam and local leaders celebrated the recently expanded infant suite at Bryant Alternative High School's Early Learning Center Tuesday. The renovation expanded access to early childhood care.

Run by the nonprofit United Community, the suite can now accommodate 16 infants from six weeks old to seven months old. The learning center itself can host up to 96 children up to 5 years old.

The Early Childhood Center provides education for young children as well as United Community's other services for families. The center seeks to address the disparity of early childhood education in southeastern part of Fairfax County. A study from Northern Virginia Healthcare Foundation found less than 0.1 percent of children in parts of southern Fairfax County are in preschool, while the rest of Fairfax County spends tens of thousands on average for child care.

"This expansion is so important for the community we serve," said United Community's executive director Alison DeCourcey. "Many area providers offer half-day preschool for toddlers to pre-K, which is a problem for many of the working parents we serve. This expansion allows our clients to continue to secure economic stability for their families without sacrificing an opportunity for their child to receive nurturing, high-quality care."

The Early Learning Center has served thousands of families since 1986. Bryant Alternative High School serves students in a non-traditional environment in grades nine to 12.