FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ALEXANDRIA, VA — Beginning January 5, 2026, Hopkins House will extend the operating hours of its Helen Day Preschool Academy in Fairfax County and James L. & Juliette McNeil Preschool Academy in Alexandria City to 6:00 p.m., offering greater convenience and support to working parents.
The change follows a recommendation from the Helen Day Preschool Academy Parents Council, which noted that many families commuting from the District of Columbia and other high-traffic areas have difficulty reaching the Academy before the current 5:30 p.m. closing time.
At its recent meeting, the Programs & Assessment Committee of the Board of Trustees voted to amend Preschool Academy Policy #5 (“Hours of Operation”), effective January 5, 2026, extending the academies’ hours by 30 minutes. Committee member and Helen Day Preschool Academy Parents Council President Spencer Cooper, who introduced the motion, explained that the proposal is intended to better accommodate parents’ schedules while aligning Hopkins House’s operating hours with those of other early childhood programs in the region. A recent survey of Helen Day Preschool Academy parents showed overwhelming support for the extension.
According to comparative data, 81% of childcare centers near the Helen Day Preschool Academy and 100% of those near the James L. & Juliette McNeil Preschool Academy close at or after 6:00 p.m., underscoring the competitiveness of this adjustment.
“The change reflects our ongoing commitment to serving families with excellence, flexibility, and compassion,” said J. Glenn Hopkins, President & CEO of Hopkins House. “We are pleased to be able to respond to the needs of our preschool academy parents while continuing to provide a nurturing, high-quality early learning environment for our Young Scholars.”
