ACCA’s bid to expand the Child Development Center (CDC) by taking over the space vacated by the former Annandale Adult Care Center received a boost on July 11 when the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted to approve ACCA’s application for a special zoning exception to increase the number of children it serves. CDC Executive Director Isabel Ballivian told the Board of Supervisors that ACCA would like to add two preschool classrooms and launch before and after school services for children ages 6 to 13.
Since 1977 the CDC has been located in the former Annandale Elementary School, a space it shared with the Annandale Adult Care Center until the Center closed in 2015. In addition to the additional classroom space, the expansion would enable the CDC to offer extracurricular activities aimed at enriching the education of enrolled children and their parents, provide professional development opportunities for staff, host community-wide events, and allow more at-risk children to access occupational and speech therapy, mental health and counseling services, and health, vision and dental screenings.
Previously ACCA was permitted to serve 188 children. The Board’s approval of ACCA’s application will enable it to serve up to 290 children.