Neighborhood and Community Services

703-324-4600 TTY 711
12011 Government Center Parkway
Fairfax, VA 22035
Lloyd Tucker
Director

Department Resources

Beyond the Bell

The words Beyond the Bell alongside several children with an NCS staff member.

Beyond the Bell is a before- and after-school program, offered in partnership with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). The program provides safe, engaging, high-quality care that supports children’s learning and development while helping meet the child care needs of families.

Following a 2025–26 pilot at 20 schools, Beyond the Bell will expand to additional elementary schools as part of a phased transition from the School Age Child Care program (SACC). All schools will transition to Beyond the Bell by school year 2029-30.  Driven by Superintendent Dr. Michelle C. Reid and supported by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, the multi-year expansion will increase access to affordable school-age child care for Fairfax County families.

Beyond the Bell operates under Virginia's regulations for school-age child care programs offered by local governments and staffed by local government employees. While it is regulated differently than traditional licensed child care centers, it maintains Fairfax County's long-standing commitment to safety, quality, staff training and enriching experiences for children.

SACC/Beyond the Bell Online Registration System Currently Down

As of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8, the SACC/Beyond the Bell Online Registration System is currently down. The vendor is working to resolve the network outage. At this time, both families and registration users are unable to access the system to add any new enrollments or make any enrollment updates. Families may contact the registration department by email at ncssaccregistration@fairfaxcounty.gov or by phone at 703-449-8989 for general information/questions. This message will be removed once the issue has been resolved and the system is operational. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work to resolve the issue. Thank you.


Program Information

Schools selected for the Beyond the Bell Pilot and Phase 1 of the transition were identified through a collaborative planning process between NCS and Fairfax County Public Schools.

The following elementary schools were part of the 2025-26 Beyond the Bell Pilot and will remain Beyond the Bell sites:

  • Annandale Terrace
  • Bailey's
  • Braddock
  • Brookfield
  • Flint Hill
  • Hybla Valley
  • Lake Anne
  • Lorton Station
  • Mosaic
  • Mount Eagle
  • Mount Vernon Woods
  • Oak View
  • Orange Hunt
  • Pine Spring
  • Providence
  • Spring Hill
  • Timber Lane
  • Vienna
  • Westlawn
  • Wolftrap

The following Phase 1 elementary schools will transition to Beyond the Bell for the 2026–27 school year:

  • Cameron
  • Cardinal Forest
  • Clermont
  • Dogwood
  • Forest Edge
  • Glen Forest
  • Groveton
  • Hutchison
  • Laurel Ridge
  • Lemon Road
  • London Towne
  • Lynbrook
  • Navy
  • Oakton
  • Rose Hill
  • Stenwood
  • Union Mill
  • Waynewood
  • Weyanoke
  • White Oaks
  • Woodlawn

2025 - 2026 School Year Calendar

Download the calendar (English and Spanish)

Calendar is subject to change. For the latest information, please call 703-449-8989, TTY 711.

For more information, visit the Calendar and Events Web page.

During the school year program, a snack is offered in the afternoon. On Teacher Workdays and during the full-day winter, spring and summer programs, both a morning and an afternoon snack are offered. Snacks are provided through Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) Food and Nutrition Services and meet United States Department of Agriculture guidelines.

Beyond the Bell pilot sites will follow the snack menu for SACC (pdf).

For more information, visit the Snack Menu Web page.

Status During Weather Events

View the Weather Policy for SACC and Beyond the Bell for more information.

Registration & Billing

Although Beyond the Bell is a separate program, enrollment, waitlist and billing/payment will still be managed through the SACC registration system.

If you have a current SACC account, or have had a SACC account in the past but have not logged into your account recently, please do not create a new account. Please login at least one week prior to the enrollment date to ensure you remember your password and can access your online account. If you are locked out of your account or need assistance to reset your password, please contact SACC Registration at 703-449-8989, TTY 711.

For more information, visit the Registration Web page.

Although Beyond the Bell is a separate program, SACC forms will still be used. 

Center Based Paperwork

Completed and turned into center staff. These forms must be turned in directly to center staff prior to your child’s 1st day of attendance.

Child Information for SACC Records Form. 
A separate form is required for each child. At the beginning of each school year, families must review the form on file for each child and update any information as needed. 

Commonwealth of Virginia School Entrance Health Form and Certification of Immunization. 
Families are also required to provide a copy of the Commonwealth of Virginia School Entrance Health form and Immunization Record for each child enrolled.

Financial Paperwork

Completed financial paperwork can be submitted one of three ways: 

  1. Email: ncssaccregistration@fairfaxcounty.gov
  2. Fax: 703-653-1304
  3. Mail: 12011 Government Center Pkwy., Suite 936, Fairfax, VA 22035

Sliding Fee Application form (PDF) English - Required only if applying for reduced fees based on adjusted household income
Aplicación para Escala de Tarifas (PDF) Spanish

*Supporting Documents for Sliding Fee Application 
Pay stubs should be submitted for all adults living in the household who are currently employed. If pay stubs are not provided by the employer, please complete the Employment Verification form. Employment is not required for SACC program eligibility.

Additional supporting documents may be needed based on the application.

Employment Verification form (PDF) English- Submit only if you are currently employed but do not receive pay stubs from your employer. Employment is not required for SACC program eligibility.
Formulario de Verifications de Empleo (PDF) Spanish

Unemployment Verification Form English - Submit only if you are currently unemployed.
Formulario de Verificación de Desempleo (PDF) Spanish

Self-employment Information form (PDF) English - Submit only if you have been self-employed for less than 12 months and did not file as self-employed on your most recent taxes.
Formulario de Información para el Trabajador Independiente (PDF) Spanish

If you filed as self-employed on your most recent taxes, please submit the following:

  • 1040, first page
  • Schedule 1
  • Schedule C

Please call registration staff at 703-449-8989, TTY 711 if you have any questions regarding the financial paperwork.

Although Beyond the Bell is a separate program, SACC fees and discounts are still applicable. 

For more information, visit the School Age Program Fees Web page.

Although Beyond the Bell is a separate program, billing and payments will be processed through the SACC payment system.

Pay your SACC bill.

For more information, visit the Registration Web page.

Although Beyond the Bell is a separate program, your account will be processed through the SACC registration system.

To manage child care services and view account information go to the SACC login page.

About Beyond the Bell

During the 2025-26 school year, Fairfax County's Department of Neighborhood and Community Services piloted Beyond the Bell at 20 Fairfax County elementary schools that previously offered School Age Child Care (SACC). The Beyond the Bell model operates under a local government Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) licensure-exemption while maintaining NCS' commitment to best practices and superior standards in child care. The expansion is driven by Superintendent Michelle C. Reid and the Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors, in support of their shared commitment to reduce waitlists and expand school age child care access for Fairfax County families.

The pilot concluded on June 17, 2026. For more information on the 2025-26 Beyond the Bell pilot, visit the Beyond the Bell Public Input Page:

NCS Beyond the Bell - Public Input Page

  • NCS will continue to deliver high quality child care programs. Beyond the Bell has obtained a Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) exemption pursuant to § 22.1-289.030 (Exemptions from licensure). Beyond the Bell will be guided by strong internal quality monitoring to ensure children receive safe, engaging and enriching care, meeting or exceeding these VDOE standards for license-exempt programs. For more information on license-exempt programs, visit Exempt Child Day Programs | Child Care VA.
  • All staff in this program will continue to meet County employment criteria, ensuring they are qualified for their roles and have completed all required background checks. All staff must meet standards that demonstrate they have the education, skills and qualification that prepares them to provide safe, high-quality care for the children and families they serve.
    • NCS will require background checks, First Aid/CPR certification, ongoing professional development, and training in child development, safety, and enrichment.
  • Sliding fee scale will continue to be offered.
  • Collaboration with Fairfax County Public Schools ensures strong alignment.

NCS is committed to providing safe, high-quality and developmentally appropriate out-of-school-time programs that support children’s learning, well-being and family needs. Through continuous evaluation and thoughtful program design, NCS strives to expand access, respond to community demand and ensure that school-age programs align with county values, regulatory requirements and best practices.

To support transparency and shared understanding, NCS’ School Age Programs Comparison Guide provides a side-by-side overview of two NCS offerings – Beyond the Bell and School Age Child Care (SACC) – highlighting key similarities and differences in program standards, staffing, oversight and operations. The information in this guide is intended to help families, staff and stakeholders better understand how each program is structured and how it supports children and families across Fairfax County.

NCS School Age Programs Comparison Guide
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