Office for Children

Fairfax County, Virginia

CONTACT INFORMATION: Our office is open 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday

703-324-8100
TTY 711

12011 Government Center Parkway, Suite 920
Fairfax, VA 22035

Lloyd Tucker,
NCS Director

Ready Region Capital Area

Ready Region Capital Area

We are proud to have been selected as the lead organization for Ready Region Capital Area. As a Ready Region lead organization, we are part of a statewide network focused on:

  • Strengthening quality. We will ensure all components are in place to coordinate quality measurement and guide improvement in publicly funded classrooms as part of VQB5.
  • Building relationships. We will engage with leaders across the region to facilitate buy-in for shared accountability and benefit.
  • Increasing access. We will build and strengthen better processes to help parents learn about and access ECCE programs in their community, while helping ECCE providers connect with families.
  • Engaging families. We will establish and strengthen strategies and structures to ensure family engagement.

Strengthening Quality

Strengthening quality. We will ensure all components are in place to coordinate quality measurement and guide improvement in publicly funded classrooms as part of VQB5.

 

Virginia’s early childhood system must ensure that all children have quality teaching and learning experiences that meet their unique needs. To do this, Virginia has developed the Unified Virginia Quality Birth to Five System (VQB5) which recognizes the impact of every classroom, provides feedback to every educator, and supports all publicly funded birth-to-five programs to improve. VQB5 is a measurement and improvement system that focuses on the quality of all publicly-funded birth-five classrooms and supports families to choose quality programming across different program types.

Ready Regions coordinates participation in VQB5 for early childhood care and education (ECCE) programs in the region.

For more information about the Capital Area Ready Region and VQB5 email: NCSOFCVQB5@fairfaxcounty.gov

The Virginia Department of Education administers VQB5 as established by the Virginia Board of Education. To learn more, visit the VDOE website.
 
 

Building Relationships

Building Relationships. We will engage with leaders across the region to facilitate buy-in for shared accountability and benefit. 

 

Ready Region Capital Area is committed to partnering with other organizations and stakeholders to implement this work. Our partners include: 

  • Alexandria City Public Schools
  • Arlington County Department of Human Services
  • Arlington County Public Schools        
  • Fairfax County Public Schools
  • Fairfax Futures    
  • Falls Church City Public Schools
  • Kids First Years

Increasing Access

Increasing access. We will build and strengthen better processes to help parents learn about and access ECCE programs in their community, while helping ECCE providers connect with families.

 

Ready Regions is working to “coordinate enrollment” across publicly funded ECCE programs in the region, such as Child Care Centers and Family Child Care Homes (including those participating in VECF’s Mixed Delivery program), Head Start, Virginia Preschool Initiative, and others to:

  • Help parents easily learn where there are available spots for their children, what they qualify for, and information such as cost, hours, and location.
  • Help ECCE providers keep enrollment numbers high, communicate when they have spots available, and be able to cover the true costs of quality services.
     

Engaging Families

Engaging families. We will establish and strengthen strategies and structures to ensure family engagement.

 

Families must be engaged in designing an early childhood system that works for them. To do this, Ready Regions will connect with families and communities to better understand and provide the ECCE programs that meet families’ needs.

Resources and Recorded Sessions

Resources and Recorded Sessions

  • Virginia Quality Birth to 5 (VQB5)
    VQB5 is  Virginia’s unified  measurement and improvement system that focuses on the quality of all publicly-funded birth to five classrooms and supports families  with accessing  quality early care and education programming across various program types.  
    2023-2024 Information
  • LinkB5
    LinkB5 is the state database for VQB5.
  • RecognizeB5
    RecognizeB5 is a central activity of VQB5 that provides direct financial incentives to eligible educators. In 2023-2024, educators working 30 hours or more directly with children in a publicly funded program may be eligible for $3,000. 
  • Classroom Assessment Scoring System© (CLASS©) Resources
    Teachstone’s CLASS tool measures effective educator-child interactions which foster higher social, behavioral, and cognitive outcomes for children. 
    To learn more, visit:
    • Teachstone
    • PreK CLASS Tool Overview Videos (Coming Soon)
    • Toddler CLASS Tool Overview Videos (Coming Soon)
    • Infant CLASS Tool Overview Videos (Coming Soon)
       
  • Curriculum Information
    A research-based, integrated, and comprehensive curriculum is a key component of a quality early care and education program. Learn more about implementing a Virginia Department of Education approved curriculum in your program.
     
  • Virginia Early Learning and Development Standards
    As of Fall 2021, Virginia has a new set of comprehensive early learning and development standards for young children, birth to age five. The focus areas include Approaches to Play and Learning, Social and Emotional Development, Communication, Language, and Literacy Development, Health and Physical Development, and Cognitive Development. 

You may receive $400 per observation!Are you a CLASS Observer or interested in becoming one?

Ready Region Capital Area is seeking observers for the Classroom Assessment Scoring System, better known as CLASS.
If you are interested in becoming a CLASS observer or are already a CLASS observer, email NCSReadyRegionCapitalArea@fairfaxcounty.gov.

For additional information view the CLASS Observer Recruitment flyer.

 

Fairfax Virtual Assistant