After working diligently on the project for more than four years, the Children’s Center finally is seeing some of the fruits of its labor.

The Suffolk location of the program held a groundbreaking Thursday for a building expansion that will house the Early Head Start program, which allows children of low-income families to learn kindergarten readiness skills and be more prepared when they enter school.

But the dream will not be fully realized until there are children in that new building, embarking on their journey of education.

It’s well known that children who have no preschool experience when they enter kindergarten are already behind the curve. And numerous studies have shown children from low-income families also are at a disadvantage when it comes to education.

Combining the two factors means children from low-income families who never attended preschool likely will struggle for years to catch up in school, if they ever manage to do so. It’s especially unfortunate because low-income families usually cannot afford to send their children to preschool.

But the Early Head Start program at the Children’s Center locations across Western Tidewater will be a great advantage to these families. The program receives federal funds, so the cost to families is greatly reduced from that of a regular preschool.

With so many families suffering from unemployment, the Children’s Center is to be commended for its timely delivery of this important service.