Fredericksburg Parent

6 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • August 2025 Region to receive an increase over last year's grant, which comes from the Virginia Department of Education Entrepreneur of the Year PROUD FOUNDING MEMBER ADVERTISING PHONE 540-429-3572 EMAIL leighanne@fredericksburgparent.net CALENDAR & SOCIAL MEDIA EMAIL leighanne@fredericksburgparent.net EDITORIAL PHONE 540-429-3572 EMAIL leighanne@fredericksburgparent.net SNAIL MAIL P.O. Box 7884, F'burg, VA 22404 www.fredericksburgparent.net LIKE facebook.com/FredericksburgParent SIGN UP FredParent.net PIN pinterest.com/fredparent FOLLOW @fredparentmagazine parent fredericksburg & family PUBLISHER & EDITOR Leigh Anne Van Doren leighanne@fredericksburgparent.net Tabitha & Jamie Nelle's mom MEDIA & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR megan@fredericksburgparent.net Megan Walsh: Mia, Noelle & Adelaide's mom DESIGN & PRODUCTION Cheryl Carter: Alex, Kate & Jackie's mom WEBMASTER caroline@fredericksburgparent.net Caroline Murray: Nate & Brendan's mom CALENDAR & ELETTERS amanda@fredericksburgparent.net Amanda Danaher: Emma, Wyatt, Grant, Jack and Thea's mom SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR jessica@fredericksburgparent.net Jessica Trask: Cye, Asher & Ragan's mom SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Laura Carter: Alison and Michael's daughter The publishers reserve the right to reject any advertisement, edito- rial or listing that does not meet the publication's standards. No part of this magazine may be reproduced with out permission. Listing and advertising rates are available upon request. Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information contained herein, however, the publisher cannot guarantee such accuracy. Listings and advertisements are subject to typographical errors, ommissions and/or change without notice. For terms and conditions please visit our website at www.fredericksburgparent.net © Copyright 2025 Nurture, Inc. All rights reserved. The greater Fredericksburg area has received about $1.8 million in grant funding from the Virginia Department of Education to provide early childhood care and education to children aged 0-5. That's about $300,000 more than the region received last year, according to information provided by Sara Hunt for the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, and the total amount will fund 95 slots in community daycare centers and preschools. The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation announced the grants, which are for the Mixed Delivery program, on Wednesday. Mixed Delivery is a public/private program, administered by the VECF, that allows families to access high quality, year-round, full-day care for their children in private, licensed facilities. It allocates public funding, through the VDOE, to private, community-based providers. In VECF's Ready Region North Central—which includes the Fredericksburg area, and is one of nine statewide Ready Regions established by the General Assembly to strengthen early childhood systems—Mixed Delivery programs are available in Stafford, Spotsylvania, and Prince William counties. Ready Region North Central, for which Foundation First is the lead agency, also includes the cities of Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Manassas Park, and the counties of Caroline, Culpeper, Fauquier, King George, Loudoun. VECF awarded, through a competitive application process, a total of $37 million to the nine Ready Regions this week. The amount will support access to care for 2,687 children. "Investments in early education that empower parents to choose the best learning environments for their children help families thrive and are key to Virginia's prosperity," said Gary Thomson, chair of the VECF board and managing partner of Thomson Consulting. "With a focus on innovation and public-private partnerships, the Mixed Delivery program continues to be an important part of Virginia's early child- hood care and education system." Photo by Erika Fletcher on Unsplash. Fredericksburg Area Receives Grant to Support Early Childhood Education WRITTEN BY ADELE UPHAUS ...the $37 million grant will support access to care for 2,687 children...

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