Being a supportive parent and building a bright future for your child is challenging under any circumstances — but especially for families facing poverty and homelessness. One of our partners, Bright Beginnings, is devoted to serving such families, and we’re happy to see them named a 2017-2019 beneficiary of The Washington Post’s Helping Hand program, a fundraising campaign for local charities.
Bright Beginnings operates child and family development centers for homeless children whose families are in crisis shelters or transitional housing in Washington, D.C. Their programs are designed to provide homeless infants, toddlers and preschoolers with a safe, nurturing environment; prepare them to enter kindergarten ready to learn; and 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.
A series of articles published by the Post since November highlights the special role Bright Beginnings plays in our community and the two-generation approach they take to providing services.
- At Bright Beginnings, the classroom includes more than just the children (November 15, 2017)
- Resources are slim for homeless kids. That’s where Bright Beginnings comes in. (November 27, 2017)
- Bright Beginnings gives a helping hand to a mother learning to be a parent (December 6, 2017)
- At Bright Beginnings, homeless parents get some useful job-seeking advice (December 19, 2017)
- The Bright Beginnings classroom is like any other, with a few key differences (December 27, 2017)
- When a District mom wanted the best for her family, Bright Beginnings was there (January 2, 2018)
“[T]his place is a blessing…it helps not just the kids but the parents themselves.”
— Adia, mother served by Bright Beginnings, The Washington Post
The best part? There’s more to come. An investment from the Bainum Family Foundation is helping Bright Beginnings build a second child development center in the District of Columbia’s Ward 8. The center, set to open early this year, will create an additional 100 high-quality early learning seats, further supporting and empowering children and families in our community.
