Bright Beginnings Child Development Center

About

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Story

Bright Beginnings, Inc. is a nonprofit that operates child and family development centers for homeless children whose families are in crisis shelters or transitional housing in Washington, DC. The center offers free, full-day, year-round and developmentally-appropriate childcare and early childhood education for children aged six weeks to five years old. The program is designed to (a) provide homeless infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with a safe, nurturing environment; (b) prepare them to enter kindergarten ready to learn, and (c) support their parents as they stabilize their lives and strive toward self-sufficiency by providing mental health, social-emotional and workforce development services to families.

Bright Beginnings, Inc. was established in 1990 by the Junior League of Washington to provide quality childcare to homeless families in Washington, DC. For over 27 years, Bright Beginnings has helped thousands of homeless children by providing them and their families with quality care and support during times of hardship and transition. In 2014, BBI pioneered the first home-based program in the country with the sole focus of supporting homeless families. Through these programs, BBI team members have provided hundreds of homeless Washingtonians living in shelters and transitional housing with the same high-quality family and educational support we offer in our centers.

Mission

Bright Beginnings is dedicated to meeting the immediate needs of children and families living in homeless environments by providing children with a safe, nurturing educational environment; preparing children to enter kindergarten ready to learn; and supporting homeless parents to stabilize their home lives and become self-sufficient.