Husband and wife team Lou and Fantana Campbell. Photo by Mike Salmon.
Pony rides and fire trucks were featured in the grand opening of the new Kiddie Academy off Edsall Road in North Springfield on Saturday, Sept, 8. The ribbon cutting had all the staples that ribbon cuttings have, such as elected officials, company managers and a big pair of scissors that screams “We are now open,” even though they had a soft opening in August.
Joseph Haggerty, the president and CEO of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce was there for the big moment. With the location in an office park right off I-395, they are reaching out to clientele in the office park or on their way to other suburban locations in the area. “Lots of people are coming to work here,” said Haggerty.
That proximity to the many office buildings around Shawnee Road and Cherokee Boulevard were considerations when husband and wife team Lou and Fantana Campbell researched this area. “That was always our business model,” Lou Campbell said. The presence of child care may be an incentive for growth too. “We see it as an incentive to bring businesses here,” he said. Lou Campbell is an alumnus of West Springfield High School and Fantana came from Afghanistan and went to high school in New York.
Kiddie Academy is a nationwide pre-kindergarten child care company where they specialize in developmentally appropriate curriculum, technology education, character education, and health and fitness. Prices range from $440 a week for a full day to $83 for an after school package.
At the academy there is room for 137 children, and so far they have enrolled 30 children.