(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the DC Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) announced the opening of 10 Family Success Centers in targeted neighborhoods in Wards 7 and 8. Each center will connect families to prevention services that are critical to family success and will need a greater focus as the District recovers from the pandemic — from employment and education to food security, childcare, and healthcare, including mental health.
“We know that when we build stronger families, we also build stronger communities,” said Mayor Bowser. “This investment in our Family Success Centers is about meeting the needs of our parents and children and creating support networks in the neighborhoods they live. We thank all of our partner organizations for their tireless work and giving more of our families in Wards 7 and 8 the opportunity to thrive.”
In December 2019, Mayor Bowser announced the grantees selected to operate the Family Success Centers. Over the past nine months, CFSA has facilitated an intensive planning process to help the grantees prepare for opening on October 1.
The locations of the centers and partner organizations are:
Ward 7:
- Benning Terrace/Benning Park: East River Family Strengthening Collaborative
- Clay Terrace: Sasha Bruce Youthwork
- Mayfair/Paradise: North Capital Collaborative
- Stoddart Terrace/37th Street: Life Deeds
- Benning Rd & Minnesota Ave.: East River Family Strengthening Collaborative
Ward 8:
- Woodland Terrace: Smart from the Start
- Anacostia: Martha’s Table
- Congress Heights: Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative
- Washington Highlands: A Wider Circle
- Bellevue: Community of Hope
Many of the services available at the centers are provided by District Government agencies, including the Department of Human Services, Department of Employment Services, Department of Behavioral Health, DC Public Libraries, the Office of Neighborhood Services and Engagement, and DC Public Schools. Each center’s priorities were determined in partnership with its surrounding community to identify where there are gaps in serving families and customize support to fit the needs of its residents.
“At CFSA, we believe all families want to take care of their children and thrive,” said CFSA Director Brenda Donald. “Our investments are directed to neighborhoods where health outcomes, education data, rates of substantiated abuse and neglect, and crime statistics indicate that we need to go further upstream with support services to ensure that no family is left behind. We are taking a whole family, whole community approach to remove barriers, link families to services, and make sure all residents have their chance to thrive.”
Families First DC and the District’s federal Five-Year Family First Prevention Plan round out DC’s robust city-wide prevention strategy, in conjunction with services provided by city agencies and community partners. The District was the first jurisdiction in the nation to submit and have a plan approved by the federal Children’s Bureau.
For more information about the Families First DC Success Centers, visit cfsa.dc.gov/page/families-first-dc.