Prince William County will give $2 million to a private daycare firm using county school buildings.
Prince William County Government, in partnership with Prince William County Schools today announced a scholarship program is available to parents or guardians have experienced job loss or work hour reduction, wage reduction, new childcare expenses because of remote learning or are teleworking without access to childcare in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The $2 million grant will go to AlphaBEST Education, Inc. for children to attend their Fall 2020 full-day program. The firm is currently providing daycare in 13 county elementary schools while the majority of the county’s 92,000 school children are learning from home.
The program is available for up to 1,000 students, Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., at several Prince William County elementary schools: Antietam, Bristow Run, Buckland Mills, Chris Yung, Coles, Dale City, Fitzgerald, Glenkirk, Jenkins, Potomac View, River Oaks, Tyler and Yorkshire. AlphaBEST and PWCS may add new school locations, as necessary, to accommodate additional enrollees.
AlphaBest charges $150 per week, and a $42 registration fee per child to attend its program. The service pairs one adult to every 15 children and told PLN it is ready to expand its program to more elementary schools in the county if necessary.
“Prince William County knows the COVID-19 pandemic has hit some families in our area hard financially,” said Prince Willaim Board of County Supervisors At-large Chair Ann Wheeler.
Registration opens Oct. 6, 2020, and the childcare scholarship program will run until Dec. 30, 2020. Parents and guardians may visit alphabest.org/pwcva for more information and to apply.
Many county employees have their children enrolled in the AlphaBest program.
Prince William County Public School students are set to return to the classroom on November 10, as part of the school division’s 50% capacity plan.
AlphaBest today could not say today how it plans to continue offering its services inside county school buildings when students return to class.
While the superintendent has already announced his plan to return students to the classroom, An AlphaBest spokeswoman tells PLN the firm is awaiting new instructions from the county School Board, which could be provided during its regular meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, October 7, 2020.
