Nearly half of parents with children enrolled in Hopkins House’s preschool academies feel that they will be negatively impacted by federal budget cuts and sequestration.

After more than a year of work involving several board level committees, and input from community groups, government officials, and staff, the trustees approved a 3-year strategic plan for Hopkins House. The plan calls for the organization, among other goals, to add a third preschool academy, increase enrollment in its adult education program, increase compensation for faculty and staff, and raise more money to support these goals -- all by June 30 2015.

During the 12-month period ended June 30, 2012, Hopkins House served 339 children, youths, and families at five locations in Northern Virginia, and employed 55 professionals fulltime, contributed over $3 million to the local economy, and provided meaningful experiences to over 100 volunteers, assisted 34 teens and adults to earn college credits and professional certifications and employment in the Early Care and Education field, and graduated 28 preschool “Young Scholars”.

The Hopkins House Trusees adopted their 2013 Legislative Support Agenda. The Agenda is a list of local and national childcare public policy issues that the Trustees plan to educate and advocate for with elected officials, community organizations, and others.

A newly released paper by the Brookings Institution focuses on early childhood education and the need for states to reform the way it credentials and trains child care workers. The paper opens with a wonderful story about Hopkins House’s Early Childhood Learning Institute (ECLI). The ECLI is both a training program and a systems reform effort. This paper will be circulated to governors and legislators around the country. We are honored that Brookings highlighted our ECLI program.