By Michelle Smith Howard, President and CEO of Kids’ First Years
The start of a new year offers a unique window to look back at significant accomplishments and to look ahead toward opportunities that align with our collective mission: building a thriving early childhood system that fuels the city’s economy, strengthens the workforce and supports every family.
To summarize, 2025 was a year of continued growth, renewed collaboration, and tangible progress. Together with our partners – community leaders, educators, healthcare professionals, and early learning experts – we have remained steadfast in our commitment to the nearly 11,000 infants, toddlers, and young children of Alexandria, along with their families.
Some highlights of 2025 include:
ALX Preschool
Officially launched in Spring 2024, ALX Preschool is Alexandria’s coordinated enrollment network designed to streamline access to publicly funded preschool programs. Critical elements of this initiative were a robust rollout of the outreach campaign aimed at informing and engaging families across the city, a user-friendly online application platform available in multiple languages, unprecedented collaboration among local agencies and providers, a strong focus on equitable access to child care programs aligning with a family’s needs, and a centralized database that enabled real-time tracking of applications.
The inaugural 12 months achieved the following results and impact:
- Over 1,200 applications submitted
- 93% of available seats in participating programs were filled – an increase from 81% the previous year
- 40% increase in enrollment among families in the West End of Alexandria, one of the city’s most underserved areas
- Greater continuity of care and improved communication with families and each other, as reported by child care providers
Community Baby Showers
KFY continued its community outreach by hosting several Community Baby Showers designed to connect new and expectant families with crucial resources for navigating family life in Alexandria. These showers featured exhibitors from partner organizations, and each event provided families with valuable information and a variety of useful items to take home.
During 2025, approximately 160 moms attended the Community Baby Showers, and KFY looks forward to welcoming even more in 2026.
Month of the Young Child
KFY proudly celebrated April 2025 as the Month of the Young Child, a time to recognize the importance of early childhood education and its impact on a child’s development. A designated Week of the Young Child featured daily themes such as “Music Monday” and “Artsy Thursday” with activities for educators and parents to engage with their children at preschool or at home.
Throughout the month, KFY supported educators and families directly through:
- Mini-Grants for Teachers: Teachers from 54 publicly funded classrooms received mini-grants to purchase supplies for activities that aligned with the daily themes.
- Resources for Play Groups: We provided materials to 190 students enrolled in The Center for Alexandria’s Play Groups.
Leading The Basics Alexandria
KFY is leading a city-wide initiative called The Basics Alexandria, which promotes five simple, research-based principles to support brain development in children from birth to age 5. During 2025, several key initiatives were launched to help families easily incorporate these principles into their daily lives:
- Basic Insights Messaging: Families can now opt-in to receive free weekly text messages with simple, science-based tips and activities when they sign up for the ALX Preschool program.
- Partnerships with Local Businesses: KFY has partnered with Alexandria Restaurant Partners to bring The Basics to family-friendly dining spaces. ARP restaurants now feature children’s menu activities with interactive posters in restrooms, all based on The Basics principles.
- The Basics in the Classroom: KFY supports preschool teachers by providing ideas for ways families can use The Basics at home to continue learning with activities linked to each Creative Classroom unit.
The State of ECE
In October, KFY convened the inaugural State of Early Childhood 2025. The event was attended by nearly 100 of Alexandria’s leaders, businesses, educators, policymakers, and community advocates to focus on one mission: building a thriving early childhood system that fuels the city’s economy, strengthens the workforce, and supports every family.
Looking Ahead to 2026
KFY launched 2026 with a new tagline, Early Care for Every Child Starts with Kids’ First Years. We invite everyone to learn more about our dedicated collective of community partners at kidsfirstyears.org.
ALX Preschool’s priorities for 2026 include:
- Expanding the network to include infant and toddler care
- Increasing partnerships with faith-based and private providers
- Leveraging enrollment data to inform capacity planning and policy decision
To learn more about events and opportunities planned to celebrate Month of the Young Child in April 2026, contact Maria McDonald at [email protected].
