Family-Friendly DC is Mayor Bowser’s initiative to provide District residents with a comprehensive view of the various health services and support available to families with children ages five and under.
Maternal Health
DC Healthy Start Project
The DC Healthy Start Project is a free program for pregnant women, parenting mothers (infants up to 2 years of age), females of childbearing age and fathers (infants up to the age of 1 year) in Wards 5, 6, 7 and 8. Our goal is to improve birth outcomes and the health and development of infants into early childhood.
Pregnant women, parenting mothers (infants up to 2 years of age), females of childbearing age and fathers (with an infant up to the age of 1 year) residing in Wards 5, 6, 7 and 8. Once enrolled, parenting mothers and fathers can continue to receive services up until the child’s second birthday.
Special Supplemental Nutrition Programs
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention (SNAP-Ed) offers behavior-based health and wellness educational activities to prevent obesity by promoting increased consumption of healthful foods and daily physical activity for SNAP-eligible residents.
Infant Health
Help Me Grow
Help Me Grow systematically connects children at-risk for developmental delays and disabilities with needed services through comprehensive physician and community outreach and centralized information and referral centers.
Help Me Grow does not provide direct services. Rather, it is a system for improving access to existing resources and services for children through age eight.
Safe Sleep Program
DC residents can get Pack 'n Plays for their infant to ensure infants are sleeping safely. Putting a baby to sleep face up in a crib reduces the chance of death caused by Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), suffocation and roll over deaths related to the infant sharing a bed with parents or other children.
DC Hears
DC Hears Ensures all infants born in the District of Columbia receive a newborn hearing screening and all abnormal screens receive appropriate follow up care. This project is supported in part by the District of Columbia Department of Health Community Health Administration and The Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, United States Department of Health and Human Services.
Child Health
Healthy Futures
The Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Project, known as the Healthy Futures Program, operates in 39 child development centers and home providers located throughout the District. Consultation focuses on improving the overall quality of the program including training staff on behavior management, staff wellness, team building, and accessing mental health resources. Crisis intervention services and support with individual child behavior and classroom management are provided. The Healthy Futures Program offers child and family-centered consultation services to care providers and family members that build their skills and capacity to:
- Improve social-emotional competence
- Educate about children’s mental health issues
- Prevent escalation of challenging behaviors
- Increase appropriate referrals for additional assessments and services
Primary Project
This evidence based practice provides screening and early intervention services to children identified with mild school adjustment issues in pre-kindergarten through third grade in over 50 sites within DCPS, DC Charter schools and Child Development Centers. Early intervention utilizes trained Child Associates providing child-led play sessions within the school setting.
P.I.E.C.E.
The Parent Infant Early Childhood Enhancement Program provides culturally competent community-based mental health services to infants, toddlers, pre-school, and school-age children (ages 8 and under) that are responsive to individual family needs. The program provides family-focused behavior management, counseling and therapeutic support. Clinical interventions include: two evidence based practices (PCIT and CPP-FV); play and art therapy, individual and family therapy; and parent support groups.
Evidence Based Practices for Young Children
TF-CBT: Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Treatment is an intervention designed to help children, youth, and their parents overcome the negative effects of traumatic life events and address feelings. TF-CBT serves children 4-18 years. Community providers include Community Connections, First Home Care, MD/DC Family Resources, and Hillcrest Children and Family Center.
CPP-FV: Child Parent Psychotherapy for Family Violence is a therapeutic intervention for young children with a history of trauma exposure or maltreatment and their caregivers. CPP-FV supports child development, restores the child parent relationship and the overall feelings of safety, while reducing symptoms associated with the experience of trauma. CPP-FV serves children 0-6 years. Community providers include P.I.E.C.E. and Adoptions Together.
PCIT: PCIT is a supported treatment for young children who are experiencing extreme behavioral difficulties. It places emphasis on improving the quality of the parent-child relationship and changing parent child interaction patterns. PCIT serves children 2-6 years. Community providers include P.I.E.C.E. and Mary’s Center.
Reading Programs
Sing, Talk and Read (universal, but targeting low income) or STAR
This program promotes early literacy from birth to age 8 to help children prepare to be school ready and succeed in life.
Books from Birth (universal for children under age 5)
In 2016, the DC Public Library launched a new initiative that provides free books each month to DC families with children from birth to five years old. This program is free and operated in conjunction with the District’s STAR (Sing, Talk, and Read) campaign, which encourages parents to take an active role in their child’s educational development by singing, talking, and reading with them daily. Registration is required. Books are selected by professionals who choose books that reflect a diversity of people and cultures, and that promote self-esteem and a love of reading. In addition, DC Public Library and the D.C. Public Schools have teamed up to suggest books students might enjoy. The lists include a variety of books, suggested by grade level from pre-kindergarten to 6th grade, to satisfy every reading interest.
Strong Start, DC’s Early Intervention Program (all families are eligible to be referred and evaluated)
The Strong Start program serves as the single point of entry for infants and toddlers in Washington DC whose families have concerns about their child’s development. This program is a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary system that provides early intervention therapeutic and other services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and developmental delays and their families. The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part C, along with the District of Columbia Public Law 1-2-119 mandate that infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families receive coordinated services early enough to make a difference. These services must be flexible, culturally responsive, and most importantly, meet the needs of the child and the family.
Strong Start Playgroups – (universal – open to children ages 6 months to age 4)
This is a weekly developmental playgroup offering activities to promote social interactions as well as emphasize growth in all developmental domains. All playgroup sessions are facilitated by a Special Educator, Physical Therapist, and an Occupational Therapist, each of which has extensive experience and understanding of infants and toddlers. Playgroup sessions include songs, read alouds, free play and multisensory activities based on a child’s developmental level. Interactions between caregivers and children are an essential part of the program, and parents and caregivers will be asked to remain for the duration of each group. Parents must register. The Playgroup schedule can be found here.
Strong Start Playgroup Facts:
- Playgroups are inclusive, welcoming children of all abilities!
- Playgroups are offered free to all District of Columbia residents!
- Playgroups are interactive & fun!
Family Services
Child Care Resource and Referral Agency
The Child Care Resource and Referral Agency (CCR&R) offers public search options for parents to conduct their own search. The center includes a resource lending library where families can obtain articles, books, resources, and other materials that focus on issues of child development, special needs, school readiness, and other topics of interest to parents. The resource library is on-line at http://www.learndc.org/childcarefinder.
Families can use this tool to search for child development and child care centers throughout the District. This website currently provides a list of licensed child care providers in the District of Columbia that meet specific criteria such as type of care, age of child, location, and services. Kids Comprehensive Services is the District’s new CCR&R. Families may contact Kids Comprehensive Services directly for information and support.
Subsidized child care (based on eligibility)
The District of Columbia operates a federally-funded child care assistance program that helps eligible families pay for child care and assists low-income families in obtaining child care so they can work or attend training or education. The child care subsidy program offers families a wide range of child care options. The variety of schedules and types of programs enable families to choose the setting that best meets their needs. The District’s subsidized child care assistance program helps low-income families, families receiving public assistance and those families transitioning from public assistance in obtaining child care. The program also improves the quality of child care, and promotes coordination among early childhood development and afterschool programs.
The Early Learning Quality Improvement Network (QIN) is a multi-year effort to build a neighborhood- based quality improvement system for early childhood development providers in the District of Columbia serving children ages 0-3. This new initiative will result in more children and families benefiting from early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services, including educational, health, nutritional, behavioral, and family support services which enhance the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of participating children. It focuses on building the supply of high quality, comprehensive early childhood development and family engagement services for infants and toddlers.
Pre-K Education
Pre-K (universal) and Head Start and Early Head Start (based on eligibility)
The District provides free high-quality pre-Kindergarten education services in its public schools, public charter schools, and publicly-funded community-based organizations for children three years of age on or before September 30 of the upcoming school year, or four years of age, and children who become five years of age after September 30 of the upcoming school year and who reside in the District pursuant to Pre-k Enhancement and Expansion Amendment Act of 2008. All DCPS PK3 and PK4 programs are aligned to the District of Columbia Common Core Early Learning Standards.
At Title I schools, DCPS Early Childhood provides comprehensive wraparound services including family supports, developmental screenings, assistance accessing social services, and vision, hearing, and dental screenings. This includes Head Start programs offered at all Title I Elementary Schools and Education Campuses. Head Start-eligible families are also encouraged to apply for PK3 and PK4 through the My School DC lottery process.