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ALIVE! Child Development Center

June Storm Damages CDC Playground

Tree damage from a major thunderstorm with punishing winds in the Washington metro area on June 4, 2008, essentially destroyed the primary piece of playground equipment at the child development center by landing squarely on top of it.

Philosophy

We believe that children learn best in a loving and nurturing environment through a developmentally appropriate program that encompasses the social. cognitive, emotional, physical, language, and creative growth of each child. While working on self-help skills and individual objectives as well as celebrating cultural diversity, each child has the opportunity to experience success and positive self-esteem. We are dedicated to ensuring positive learning experiences for our children through active exploration of their world while maintaining a safe, healthy, and appropriate environment.

Services

  • Full-day, high-quality early education and care
  • Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday
    (Closed on federal holidays)
  • Open year-round, except for the last week of August
  • Special summer camp program offered from mid-June through August
  • Field trips, Christmas party, spring fling, and other special events

Educational Program

  • The Creative Curriculum for Preschool, which incorporates five curriculum components into 11 classroom learning areas
  • Al’s Pals: Making Healthy Choices, a social skills curriculum
  • Strong emphasis on early literacy skills, including phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, print-orientation and book-handling skills, word awareness, name writing, and story structure
  • Strong emphasis on early math skills, including counting. sorting, patterning, measurement, number, and shape recognition
  • In addition, in our prekindergarten classroom:
    • R is for Rainbow, a letter and beginning sound recognition program
    • Handwriting Without Tears, a playful, developmentally appropriate way to teach handwriting skills

Health and Nutrition

  • Nutritional breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack approved by the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program and served daily
  • Family-style dining
  • Nutrition education and cooking experiences
  • Two hours of scheduled rest time daily
  • Two periods of large motor activities scheduled daily, either inside or, weather permitting, outside on playground
  • Yearly vision, hearing, and dental screenings

Supplemental Services

  • Developmental screenings and referrals to Child Find, as needed, for all enrolled children
  • Pre-K Pals literacy screening for all prekindergarten children
  • Social skills training and parent counseling available through ALIVE’s family support worker
  • Monthly Parent Support Program through Parent Circle meetings

Staff

Each classroom has lead and assistant teachers. We also employ a food service manager and a high school intern. Two of our teachers hold the child development associate credential, and the others are earning the credential. Our director has a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education and a master of education in early childhood and special education. She has been an early childhood teacher for 16 years and formerly served as a child development director and training and curriculum specialist for the U.S. Air Force. In addition, she was an adjunct instructor for Central Texas College, teaching early childhood courses in the associate in applied sciences degree program. ALIVE! also employs a full-time family support worker who holds a master in social work degree.

Eligibility

  • Open to all children ages three years through five years (prekindergarten), regardless of race, sex, or religion
  • Due to licensing requirements, children MUST be completely toilet-trained
  • Parents must be working and/or in a job-training program, and/or going to school a total of at least 30 hours a week
  • Families must live or work in the city of Alexandria
  • Before enrollment can be completed, each family MUST apply through the Alexandria Department of Human Services for child care subsidy; proof of such application must be presented prior to enrollment

Registration

  • Orientation for parent(s) and child with staff, director, and family support worker MUST be completed, all paperwork submitted, and initial tuition payment made before child can begin
  • Sliding fee scale is based on family income and size
  • Maximum fee is $195 per week

Status

  • Nonprofit, private center
  • Sponsored by ALIVE!, Inc.

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ALIVE! Child Development Center
2723 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22302
703-548-9255