Neighborhood and Community Services

April 6-12, 2024 is Week of the Young Child, when the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and their members celebrate early learning, young children, their teachers, families and communities. This annual event also highlights the needs of young children and their families and recognizes the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs. Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services is proud to have an array of programs offering high-quality learning experiences for our youngest learners, as well as support and professional development opportunities for early childhood educators. Early care and education help build strong developmental foundations for young children during the years of greatest brain development, leading to positive outcomes for children, and helps them be better prepared for school, says NCS Deputy Director Keisha Dotson. “Early childhood education provides a foundation for a child’s learning potential,” said Dotson. “We are proud to help connect Fairfax County families with high-quality child care services and experiences.” NCS’ services include: Resources for Helping Children Birth to Age 5 Child Care Assistance and Referrals Information on Part-Time Preschool Programs such as HIPPY (FCPS) and All Ages Read Together Head Start/Early Head Start to help children infant-age 5 prepare for school success. Fairfax County-Permitted Family Child Care Providers Fairfax County School Age Child Care (SACC) NCS’ Early Childhood Programs and Services (ECPS) is dedicated to the care, education, and healthy development of children, from birth through elementary school age. For more information, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/earlychildhood NAEYC first established the Week of the Young Child in 1971, recognizing that the early childhood years (birth through age 8) lay the foundation for children's success in school and later life. For more info visit NAEYC.org.  

Nominations are now open for the 2024 Stephen A. McLaughlin Champions of Character Award.  The awards program, founded in 2001, honors county youth, coaches and parents in each magisterial district for extraordinary service in pursuing victory with honor on and off the field of competition. Instituted by the Fairfax County Athletic Council, this program aims to support the tradition of amateur athletics in cultivating teamwork, leadership, good sportsmanship and community service.  Nominations for this year's awards are due by August 1, 2024. To nominate an athlete, coach or parent, visit Stephen A. McLaughlin Fairfax County Champions of Character Awards. The awards ceremony will be held October 21, 2024 at the Fairfax County Government Center. The Fairfax County Athletic Council serves in an advisory capacity to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, School Board and county agencies on matters relating to sports in Fairfax County. The council, comprised of 23 voting members, advises on policy and establishes priorities for enhancing the availability of sports programs to the citizens of Fairfax County. Council appointees include one representative from each of the nine magisterial districts; a member-at-large; a representative from women’s sports programs; a diversity-at-large representative; representatives from the towns of Vienna, Herndon and Clifton; and eight members appointed from the county’s eight sports-specific councils. The Champions of Character Awards are presented in partnership with the Fairfax County Athletic Council with support from TD Bank. In 2023, the award was renamed in honor the late Stephen A. McLaughlin, the longtime Providence District Representative to the Fairfax County Athletic Council. For more information, visit Stephen A. McLaughlin Champions of Character Awards.