FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Alexandria, VA — Hopkins House announced today that it has provided more than $1.29 million in tuition assistance over the past ten years, helping 585 preschoolers from low-resourced families access safe, high-quality early care and education during a decade marked by significant economic challenges including a global health pandemic, periods of economic uncertainty, rising childcare costs, and recent federal workforce reductions affecting many Northern Virginia households.
For many families, this tuition assistance has been critical to maintaining stability during very difficult times. With the cost of high-quality childcare in Northern Virginia today exceeding $18,000 to $22,000 per year, many working parents face difficult choices without financial assistance.
Hopkins House tuition assistance, in the form of scholarships, is made possible through the generosity of the many individuals, foundations, businesses, civic organizations, and community institutions that have contributed to the Hopkins House Scholarship Fund over the past decade. These need-based scholarships are awarded by the Hopkins House Board of Trustees through its Scholarships & Recognitions Committee.
“These scholarships have been a lifeline for many of the families we serve,” said Robert D. Hicks, Scholarships & Recognitions Committee Chair. “Over the past decade, during a very difficult period, the Hopkins House Scholarship Fund has helped parents remain in the workforce while also ensuring that their children continue to thrive in a safe, nurturing early learning environment. This level of assistance reflects the extraordinary generosity of Hopkins House donors and their deep commitment to helping this community’s working families with young children.”
By helping families bridge the gap between the cost of delivering high-quality preschool and what parents can afford, the Hopkins House Scholarship Fund helps strengthen families, support workforce participation, and expand educational opportunity for the community’s children. The Hopkins House Preschool Academy is a comprehensive early childhood education experience designed to prepare children for success in kindergarten and beyond.
As childcare costs continue to rise and families face ongoing economic pressures, Hopkins House leaders say the need for scholarship support remains strong and increasingly urgent. In coming months, the organization plans to expand its fundraising efforts to help ensure that children from low-resourced families can continue accessing the high-quality early childhood education provided at the Hopkins House Preschool Academy.
“Investing in early childhood education is one of the most powerful ways we can strengthen our community,” Hicks added. “When we support young children and their families, we help build a stronger workforce, a stronger education system, and a stronger future for all of us.”
