Johan was one of 75% of our students who came to CFNC as an English Language Learner (ELL). Johan's parents came to the U.S. from Guatemala and don't speak much English at home. Like 69% of CFNC students, Johan and his family speak Spanish. Because kindergarten in the public schools is an English-speaking setting, CFNC's teachers and social worker knew it would be important for Johan to learn English before he entered kindergarten, and provided resources, tools, and appropriate learning opportunities so Johan could build confidence in his Spanish literacy and vocabulary while also learning English. Research shows that English…

In the fall of 2018, The Child & Family Network Centers (CFNC) was awarded a team of consultants from Compass Pro Bono (compassprobono.org) to help us evaluate a few critical questions related to our strategic plan: 1) In 2018, enrollment into CFNC’s free preschool program slowed – what happened? 2) CFNC’s operational and strategic growth scenarios – where should our classrooms really be? 3) Are their opportunities for growth? Where should those classrooms be and can CFNC afford to grow? 4) How can CFNC better market itself to families? To tackle these large, imperative questions, Compass connected CFNC with eight…

Supports the Child & Family Network Centers [ALEXANDRIA, VA] – Ice cream lovers can mark off their calendars for Ben and Jerry’s annual free cone day on Tuesday, April 9, 2019. All tips will benefit The Child and Family Network Centers (CFNC), and employees and volunteers will be scooping ice cream for donations at the Old Town Ben and Jerry’s location as well as the National Harbor Location from 12 -8pm.   Ben and Jerry’s Old Town      Ben and Jerry’s National Harbor  103 South Union Street           138 National Plaza Alexandria, VA 22314             Oxon Hill, MD 20745  For over 40 years, Ben and Jerry’s has dished out free scoops of ice cream to commemorate the…

CFNC follows the Creative Curriculum, which is nationally recognized for its high-quality, research based studies. In the Creative Curriculum, subjects are broken down into 3 to 4 week segments called "studies." This month, our students learned about buildings! The kiddos covered a variety of topics including different types of buildings, who builds buildings, and the different materials buildings are made of. They also practiced making their own buildings with materials in the classroom such as blocks, or Legos. Local construction businesses even came into the classroom to give our students real life examples of what they do! Amazing employees from…

Five generations of the Ocampo family are part of the CFNC family. Our veteran teacher, Ms. Juana, sent all four of her children to CFNC because she saw first hand the growth her students made and the skills they gained to prepare them for kindergarten. Isaac Isaac, the oldest son of our veteran teacher Ms. Juana, went to CFNC in 2001 as a four-year-old and needless to say, he was a handful. “I used to be a cry-baby and had some behavioral problems,” says Isaac. Throughout his time at CFNC however, his behavior started to improve and by the time he entered…

Every year at CFNC, the month of December is filled with the sound of the sound of joyful screams and howls of laughter. Why? Because every December, CFNC invites local businesses and individuals to join our students and teachers in the classroom to throw a holiday party! It truly is the most wonderful time of the year as these groups read holiday-themed books, do crafts, eat treats, and best of all, bring gifts.  Our partners at Lansinoh Laboratories, Wells Fargo, Biologics Consulting, Vanderweil, Cypress International, Cotton & Company, Applied Policy, and Greenfield Senior Living read amazing holiday-themed books such as “Snowmen at Night”…

Overgrown shrubs, outdated equipment, that's not how you should describe a playground. Unfortunately, for 16 students at CFNC, it is. On #GivingTuesday on November 27, the global day of giving, CFNC aims to raise $5,000 to update our playground. (Give now!) Playgrounds are extensions of the classroom and support our students' development. On #GivingTuesday, you're not just building a playground, you're building a brighter future for 16 low-income children in your community. Just take a look at these cute faces: A playground is an extension of our classrooms. Outdoor learning spaces - like robustly designed playgrounds - are integral to…

Teaching Self-Regulation To Your Child Managing emotions is an excellent building block for success and interpersonal growth for young children. Preschool is a vital time to learn how to control emotions in a healthy way and our Family Services manager, Mary Taverner, explains the techniques we use at CFNC to help our students learn good self-regulating behavior. 1. Model behavior and get on their level: Get on their level! When you get down to eye level with a child, it helps them feel safer. This action shows respect and listening from the adult and allows the child to feel more…

It has been a great first month of having the kids back in the classroom. Our kids have been busy learning new things and making friends with their classmates and teachers. Even though it still feels like summer, winter will be here before you know it. Many of our families walk to school and struggle to provide their children with proper winter clothes. If our students don’t have appropriate winter clothes, they’ll likely struggle with frequent absences during the cold winter months, which is why CFNC is holding it’s annual coat drive. Last winter was tough with the frigid temperatures…

What’s going on at CFNC? It’s officially the end of our second week of school and things haven’t slowed down. Let’s begin by sharing what our amazing little stars have been learning this week. Recently teaches read the “The kissing Hand” by Audrey Penn to the kids. This book was a huge hit with the kids and the timing was perfect! The first few weeks of school can be scary and overwhelming to children being in a new place without mom, all new faces and without the comfort of home. Which was all the more reason to read this beautifully…