ALEXANDRIA, VA – Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) has announced that it will add 350 spots to its Virtual PLUS+ program for kids who require supervision during school hours. This move is a result of funding from the City of Alexandria. It means that kids whose parents or guardians are unable to stay home with them will receive full-day care.
Supervision will take place at either an ACPS school site or one overseen by the Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks & and Cultural Activities. All sites will have Internet access.
Along with access to technology, the free program also offers access to food and supervision during online classes.
“This is a service that is clearly needed for our most vulnerable families and we are grateful to the City and our Virtual PLUS+ partners for their support of this program. The Virtual PLUS+ model relies on collaboration and partnerships to be successful and this is the perfect example of this,” said ACPS Superintendent Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr.
Child care is one of the ‘PLUS’ components of the Virtual PLUS+ model that ACPS is adopting for the fall. ACPS is also working with other community partners to explore additional free supports for a small number of students. The school division is already connecting families of pre-K students with free child care options based on family needs.
The school system will utilize grant funds to cover most of the $1.2 million cost of the program. City Manager Mark B. Jinks will recommend that the Alexandria City Council provide the remaining $288,000 to ACPS for the 2020-21 academic year.
“The city is pleased to partner with ACPS in the provision of this vital service,” said Jinks. “This continues and strengthens the long-standing partnership between the city and ACPS.”
For more information on child care options, click HERE.
RELATED — Virtual PLUS+: A Program Overview
