BRIGHT BEGINNINGS INC
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Mission Statement
Bright Beginnings vision is that all children and families in the District receive the support and resources necessary to thrive and realize their full potential. In support of that vision, Bright Beginnings will implement a two-generation approach to: Ensure every child experiencing housing instability is healthy, safe, engaged, supported and challenged; Develop school ready and kindergarten prepared children; Support families in breaking the cycle of inter generational poverty; and Partner intentionally to eradicate disparities and remove obstacles to economic mobility.
About This Cause
Bright Beginnings employs a 2-generation approach for long-term success by providing high-quality, accredited, and free early childhood education for children while also empowering parents with the knowledge and skills to be their children’s first and best teachers, to have economic stability and mobility, and to be mentally and physically healthy. Access to quality early childhood education is proven to have a positive impact on a range of academic and life outcomes for children, with gaps in learning becoming harder to remedy as children age. Making an investment in children and their families at this critical stage of early development ensures that children are set up for success and will contribute to narrowing persistent racial and socioeconomic disparities in academic achievement. BBI’s Early Childhood Education & Development program, the hallmark of our work, provides up to 208 children (144 center-based and 64 home-based) annually with learning opportunities that build literacy skills and prepare them to enter kindergarten ready-to-learn and on par with their higher-resourced peers. The Home Visiting Program is geared toward pregnant women and children from birth until age three and offers Early Head Start services to children and families in their home environments. Our Workforce Development program connects parents who enroll in our programs with Workforce Development services, including educational support, training, and employment assistance through our partnerships with A Wider Circle and LIFT. Parents receive one-on-one personalized assistance to build life skills, pursue new skills and certifications, create resumes and household budgets, conduct job searches, and obtain and retain employment. Our Health, Wellness & Therapeutic Services provides early interventions to children with learning disabilities, cognitive delays, and health problems, ensuring that children enter kindergarten ready to learn. Students receive therapeutic and health screenings within 45 days of enrollment. A hallmark of BBI’s 2-generation approach is our family services program, which throughout each program year evaluates families’ needs and connects them with appropriate resources and support systems. All enrolled families are provided a family advocate who works with them to develop a family partnership agreement and set goals that are designed to empower parents and transform the lives of families. Our family services program provides knowledgeable and reliable resources to families to build economic assets, support personal health & wellbeing and accrue social capital. In 2018, Bright Beginnings launched our Fatherhood Initiative. This program utilizes the Center for the Improvement of Child-Caring’s Effective Black Parenting framework to build caregiving skills over a 12-week series. In February 2022 BBI re-launched our free evening childcare program to better support families with caregivers who work or attend school during the evening hours. We now offer additional hours of childcare for up to 17 children ages 6 weeks - 2 years from 4pm - 11pm, Monday - Friday. Bright Beginnings is one of the few licensed center-based care facilities in Wards 7 or 8 to provide free childcare after 7pm, and the only Head Start agency in Region 3 to do so. Lastly, BBI elevates the voices of our families through our 12-member Policy Council where together with the Board adopt practices that ensure active, independent, and informed governance, which includes full participation in the development, planning, and evaluation of programs.