Easter Seal Child Development Center, DC

Easter Seals Child Development Center-DC is an inclusive NAEYC-accredited childcare center. We care for a diverse population of children with and without special needs from 6 weeks to 4 years of age. The Center is located in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington DC. The Center has been serving children and families in the community since 1959. The Center provides high quality inclusive programs including full-day childcare, early intervention and education, and parent support to a diverse population of children and families. The Center serves children with and without disabilities from six weeks to four years of age with the goal of maximizing the physical, cognitive, communication, self-help, and social/emotional development of each child and ensuring a successful transition into school. The special needs of children served include Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, speech /language delay, developmental delay and extreme prematurity among others. Easter Seals provides these children with a variety of early intervention services including physical, occupational, and speech/language in the classroom setting. In addition to benefiting from therapy services in their natural environment, the children with special needs also benefit from daily interaction with their typically- developing peers. The typically-developing children benefit from having a heightened sensitivity to the challenges that others face, increased empathy and compassion. Families benefit from having high-quality childcare located in the community and also the convenience of having childcare and therapy provided in the same location. For families eligible for subsidized child care, we are able to issue vouchers on-site. We also house a community-based, OSSE-funded, pre-K3 classroom that is free for DC residents (September - June, 8:30am to 4:00pm).