Falls Church Mclean Childrens Center

Many children from low-income, immigrant families who attend the Children’s Center are like Jose, who by age 3 had spent his early years with babysitters who spoke only Spanish. When he started with the Center, he could speak few words in any language.  He also was lacking social skills and had behavioral issues.

With the help of our experienced teachers who are specially trained to work with at-risk children and a speech therapist and a Spanish-speaking behavioral counselor, Jose slowly started to speak.  In our language-rich classrooms, with a low student-teacher ratio, Jose was able to receive plenty of individual attention to encourage his interest in books to promote his language development. With  activities that enabled him to learn how to appropriately participate and interact with other children.  He learned quickly in our research-based curriculum.

When Jose “graduated” last August, along with 24 other students, he was fluent in English, as were all graduates, and he no longer needed behavioral counseling.  He had an individualized education plan for continued therapy in speech and language development so that he would enter kindergarten with supports in place. 

The Children’s Center helps more than 50 children each year to gain the skills they need to begin kindergarten fluent in English and ready to learn while their parents work to provide for the family.  Research shows that a strong preschool program is the best remedy for the many risks for failure that low-income, immigrant children face.

Our high-quality program is available to low-income families who pay on a sliding scale.  To keep our program affordable to those who need it most, the Center needs to raise an estimated $300,000 a year in private donations. 

Our children and our program are the best investments that donors can make.  The Center provides a safe, enriching place where children receive nutritious breakfasts and lunches and 2 healthy snacks each day to be sure they have the “fuel” for healthy development.  They are screened for medical issues with annual hearing, vision and dental check-ups. In our bucolic setting, children play outdoors twice each day on our playground and on a grassy hill perfect for rolling down in all seasons!  Each week, our children also go beyond the school on field trips to museums, parks and other cultural and recreational sites, to give them all the advantages for enrichment that are available to children in this region.

In our loving environment, 70 children each year thrive as they build a strong foundation for their future learning and life.