ANNUAL REPORT
2024
Executive Summary
Fiscal Year 2024 was a year of strategic investment for Bright Beginnings. We invested in our staff through new professional development and leadership initiatives; in our future by expanding to two new locations; and in our children and families through innovative programming and enriching educational experiences. We also enhanced our well-being by transforming unused outdoor space into a garden oasis.
This annual report highlights the outcomes of these investments, including our designation as a “High Quality” center, the advocacy efforts led by our staff and families, and significant organizational growth. Throughout this period of expansion, our hallmark two-generation programming remained strong. All children made progress across the eight content areas defined by the industry-standard Child Observation Record (COR) Advantage: Approaches to Learning, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development and Health, Language, Literacy and Communication, Mathematics, Creative Arts, Science and Technology, and Social Studies.
As we finalize this FY24 report, Bright Beginnings, Head Start, and the broader early childhood education sector face significant uncertainty and challenges. However, the investments we’ve made position Bright Beginnings to navigate future crises with resilience and confidence.
BBI's Mission and Vision
BBI’s 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, BBI 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 intergenerational poverty; and
Partner intentionally to eradicate disparities and remove obstacles to economic mobility.
A Letter from Our Leader
As I look back on our fiscal year 2024, I see a year of balance: of both meaningful milestones and difficult challenges, highs and lows that defined and encouraged our growth and resilience.
One of our biggest wins came in April of 2024, when BBI received the honor of advancing from “Quality” to “High Quality” in DC’s Capital Quality Improvement and Rating Scale. This designation was the direct result of the strategic investment we’ve made in the professional development of our teaching staff; over the past year, team members attended the Head Start and National Association for the Education of the Young Child conferences, and received intensive trainings on the High Scope Curriculum, Child Observation Record Assessments, Infant and Toddlers Environment Rating Scale (for children ages birth-3), and Classroom Assessment Scoring System (for Pre-K children) to continue their professional growth.
The BBI community also faced one of our most profound challenges in the summer of 2024 after the loss of a dedicated team member and a child within a few short weeks. BBI is well-equipped to provide trauma-informed care and education to our families and children, but we rarely need to offer these services to our own staff. To support our community, we offered grief counseling services at no cost to all parents and families, and held donation and food drives to support the families of those we lost so suddenly. Though this was an extraordinarily difficult season at BBI, it also showed the tremendous strength and compassion of our community as we came together in a time of great need.
It was exciting to once again see the power of the BBI community and witness our advocacy in action as new challenges in the education landscape emerged. The elimination of funding for the DC Pay Equity Fund from the Mayor’s preliminary budget was the spark—and as a result, BBI parents and staff showed up in a big way and engaged directly with Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, participated in a panel for the DC Action Economic Impact Report launch, embraced “A Day Without Childcare,” rallied at Freedom Plaza, and met with councilmembers to advocate for full funding of the DC Pay Equity Fund. Though the DC Council eventually restored $70 million to the Fund for FY25, it also included new conditions like reduced salaries for B.A.-holding teachers. Supporting our staff is paramount—BBI remains committed to maintaining current salary levels despite the reduction in government subsidies, which will mean increasing private fundraising. To ensure we’re remaining resilient in our future planning, we’ve conservatively adjusted our FY25 federal and local government revenue projections. These empowering efforts complemented the work of the Under 3 DC Coalition, and their significant success served as a reminder of the importance of centering parent voices.
Amidst the triumphs and trials of the past year, I’ve found myself ever more committed to ensuring that BBI remains a dynamic organization that continues to grow, adapts to changing environments, and serves as a relevant and impactful member of our community. With DC Public Schools increasing their Pre-K enrollment options, I identified a clear opportunity for partnership to open infant and toddler centers at DCPS sites. At the time, BBI submitted three competitive bids with the hope of being awarded one contract. The results are better than we could have hoped for: we were offered the contract for two new infant and toddler sites, at both Garfield Elementary and Whitlock Elementary! The second half of FY24 channelled all our energy and effort into this new milestone by drafting expansion plans, hiring staff, and preparing to serve 68 more children and their families in FY25. This is a truly exciting next chapter of BBI’s service to the DC community, and we are so glad you are part of it.
Perhaps most importantly, none of this would be possible without a dedicated team of talented staff and generous supporters. We are thrilled about all that we’ve accomplished in the past year, and are confident that even better things are yet to come.
My sincere gratitude for your investment in the children and families of DC!
2024 Year in Review
In FY24, Bright Beginnings provided education and wrap-around services at no cost to 296 children and their families living at or below the federal poverty line. Bright Beginnings employs a two-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.
Testimonial
“BBI is an extraordinary child development center. Early intervention is awesome and Eve is proof that early intervention works.”
— Bonita, BBI parent and mother of Eve
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![Group of seven diverse people standing outdoors at a park, holding yellow shirts with a 5K run/walk event logo, smiling, and dressed in casual clothing.]()
5K race
BBI hosted our annual 5K Run, Walk, and Stroller Brigade on April 27, 2024 for the first time since the pandemic, bringing together families, staff, and community partners for a celebratory day of health, fitness, well-being, and community connections. With over 200 registrants supported by 17 volunteers, the event was suitable for all ages and fitness levels. By offering multifaceted programming attuned to the diverse needs of families, BBI’s Family Services cultivates growth, empowerment, and community-building opportunities year-round.
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![A person wearing a white face mask and a colorful patterned shirt playing a djembe drum in a classroom decorated with colorful charts and alphabet posters.]()
Teacher Leadership Pipeline
Our teacher leadership pipeline is set to enter its pilot phase in FY25. During the last fiscal year, we expanded partnerships to include the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and formalized our Child Development Associate (CDA) internship program with UDC and Ballou STAY. Nine teachers were supported by BBI in achieving their CDA license while one teacher was supported in achieving her Bachelor’s degree. We spent 2024 building the framework for creating teacher specialists in literacy, STEM, and social-emotional learning subject areas.
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![Young girl with colorful beads in her hair holding a birthday card or craft project. She is standing in a hallway with artwork on the walls.]()
COR Advantage Kindergarten Ready Count
BBI’s education program promotes curiosity, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking by using the HighScope curriculum. The “Plan/Do/Review method,” a cornerstone of HighScope, allows children to plan their activity, act on decisions, and discuss what they accomplished with a teacher. This method allows each child to develop at his or her own level with the support of trusted adults.
BBI ensures ongoing evaluation of each child’s growth and development using HighScope’s Child Observation Record (COR) Advantage assessment tool. Child assessment data is used to support curriculum development and to develop individualized instruction and wrap-around services to meet the unique needs of each child. In FY24, all children advanced in each of the eight content areas defined by the industry-standard Child Observation Record (COR) Advantage: Approaches to Learning, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development and Health, Language, Literacy and Communication, Mathematics, Creative Arts, Science and Technology, and Social Studies.
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![Young children in purple graduation gowns and caps, wearing white sashes with colorful letters and illustrations, standing in line, at a graduation ceremony.]()
Advancement from “Quality” to “High Quality”
In April 2024, BBI achieved a significant milestone by earning the "High Quality" designation in the DC's Capital Quality Improvement and Rating Scale (DC QRIS), implemented by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education’s (OSSE) Division of Early Learning (DEL). The designation is determined by scores received in the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) for Pre-K students and the Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS-3) for infants and toddlers, and observational evaluations in areas such as classroom organization, emotional support, and instructional support. This recognition, along with our "Center of the Year" award from DC Spaces in Action for advocacy efforts in Ward 8, demonstrates our dedication to maintaining rigorous educational standards and leadership in early childhood education.
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![Two children wearing yellow sun hats and gloves planting a tomato plant in a garden bed on a sunny day.]()
Health and Wellness Initiatives
We expanded our partnerships with two crucial programs: PIECE (Parent Infant Early Childhood Program) and Strong Start. PIECE offers evidence-based interventions such as Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and Child-Parent Psychotherapy to support families. Strong Start provides free early intervention services for eligible children from birth to age 3. Through these collaborations, we introduced new initiatives like a Postpartum Support Group. Additionally, we distributed seasonal resources to families, including winter and summer activity kits; organized parenting workshops; and provided health kits for cold and flu season.
Our health and therapeutic services team served 117 students through various interventions. They provided 183 parent consultations on parenting challenges and family issues, and 255 staff consultations to develop strategies for children with behavioral concerns. The program also offered 212 individual student sessions focusing on transitions, frustration tolerance, self-help skills, and coping mechanisms. Additionally, 14 families were referred to external mental health providers.
Children’s National Hospital’s Mobile Health Unit conducted health screenings for 28 children while Gordon Center for General and Advanced Dentistry provided dental screenings for a total of 168 children. Vision screenings were conducted by Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington DC, with a total of 95 children screened.
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![Smiling young girl wearing a pink hoodie, white beanie, and hood over head, holding a children's book titled 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' at a library or classroom setting.]()
Partnership with DC Public Schools
In partnership with DC Public Schools (DCPS), we established four new satellite classrooms at Garfield (Ward 8) and Whitlock (Ward 7) Elementary Schools. Each location hosts four infant/toddler classrooms, increasing our classroom count from 16 to 23 by the end of the 2024/2025 program year. We will be using the HighScope curriculum for Infants and Toddlers, ensuring that our educational approach remains cutting-edge and effective. We received a competitive Head Start grant of more than $2.4 million to offset startup costs and partial year-one operational costs. We’re also committed to building a strong, capable workforce to support our growing program. Each site will be led by a dedicated team that includes a site supervisor, family advocate, health coordinator, food handler, four lead teachers, and eight assistant teachers. This influx of talent will ensure that we maintain our high standards of care and education as we grow.
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![Adult woman and young boy reading a children's book together, close-up, indoor setting.]()
Capital Improvement Updates
Bright Beginnings moved into its state-of-the-art building on 4th Street in 2018. Since then, demand for our services has grown, creating the need for more space to accommodate an increase in students. Thanks to a generous grant from The Share Fund in the fall of 2023, BBI began plans to convert administrative office space into an additional classroom. The new classroom will serve as a “transition” room for children who are moving from our Early Head Start to Head Start classrooms, alleviate space constraints in our Head Start classes, and create a dedicated room where instructors can take the time to prepare our children for the PreK-3 and PreK-4 classroom environments.
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![A smiling woman holding a young boy outdoors, both looking at the camera, with trees and balloons in the background.]()
Physical Education
This program integrates physical education (PE) and sports activities into BBI's standard curriculum, with children ages 4-5 participating in PE instruction 20 minutes per day, five days a week, and toddlers ages 18 months to 3 years engaging 15 minutes per day, two days a week. Supported by PE instructor and former professional basketball player Christopher Wright, we employ evidence-based curricula and developmentally appropriate assessments to support each child's physical development and establish healthy lifestyle habits. Research consistently shows that early intervention through education and structured physical activities can be transformative, especially for under-resourced children.
Testimonial
“Raegan is a very intelligent, friendly, curious, helpful, and bright child. Since she has started PE class, she has been very excited and eager to share all the things that take place in class. She tries to recreate what took place in class at home with her cousin. Since starting class, she has become a little more open to trying new things, where at first, she was more reserved.”
— Valerie, BBI parent of Raegan
Our Stories
“Taylor”
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“Over the past year, I have watched “Taylor” blossom into a confident and emotionally intelligent young leader. When she first joined my class, she was timid and reserved, but through patience, guidance, and her own determination, she has learned to embrace and express her emotions in a positive and constructive way. What once brought her to tears now fuels her resilience, and she has transformed challenges into opportunities for growth. Taylor not only understands her emotions but also channels them into leadership, uplifting those around her. She eagerly absorbs new lessons and goes above and beyond to support her classmates, offering encouragement and guidance when they need it most. Her journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, self-awareness, and incredible potential within every child.” – Miss Asia, Classroom PreK-3
“Kenzi”
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“Kenzi” joined BBI in 2023 as a happy, curious 7-month-old. Early on, she was given the Brigance screener, an assessment that evaluates key areas of development. She passed the first two sections with ease, but her score on the third placed her on monitor status in September 2023. As she approached her first birthday, Kenzi did not pass the 1-year-old Brigance screener, prompting our in-house Speech-Language Pathologist to step in. Although she was attentive and able to follow directions, Kenzi showed minimal babbling and lacked age-appropriate speech sounds. Recognizing her need for additional support, our team worked closely with her through targeted speech and language services.
With the dedicated efforts of her teachers, Speech-Language Pathologist, and loving caregivers, Kenzi made remarkable progress. She began saying words, imitating sounds, and gradually building her verbal skills. By August 2024, she achieved a significant milestone—passing her Brigance screener!
Today, Kenzi is confidently speaking in short sentences with age-appropriate articulation, clearly expressing her wants and needs. She has blossomed before our eyes, and we can’t wait to see all that she continues to achieve!
“Empress”
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Empress learned about BBI’s CDA internship program through our community partnership with the University of the District of Columbia. After interviewing for an internship with the evening care program, Empress decided that she wanted to enroll her son Enzo, who was born with a special need. Through collaboration with our health services team and the evening care team, BBI has been able to provide care and services for Enzo, as well as the opportunity for Empress to pursue her dream of becoming a lead teacher in Early Childhood Education. Empress shared: “Being at Bright Beginnings has been such a big help in my life. From the commute being manageable, to all the resources they give to the parents enrolled in their program…[t]hey’ve allowed me to do my internship and bring my child along. Despite [Enzo] having challenges, Bright Beginnings still accepted him and treated him no differently. His teachers have been patient and understanding of his complications.”
Head Start by the Numbers
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296 Children Served
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159 Dental Screenings
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227 Medical Examinations
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89% of Eligible Children Served
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65,032 Meals Provided
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93% of Students Made Progress Toward School Readiness
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42 Children with Developmental Concerns Served (by Referral)
Looking Ahead
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The opening of eight new Early Head Start classrooms at Whitlock and Garfield Elementary Schools will be a milestone for BBI. This expansion will involve the hiring of at least 25 new team members, including 20 teachers, two site supervisors, two family advocates, and two family support specialists. We can’t wait to showcase these beautiful new locations and build an effective and cohesive team to meet the needs of our children and families.
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As a result of our growth, BBI’s leadership team will also expand with the addition of a Director of Community Engagement, who will be responsible for enrollment across all BBI locations and lead strategies to build relationships, improve outreach initiatives, and foster engagement with the DC community. A new Director of Strategic Growth will identify opportunities and improve operational efficiency, while keeping BBI aligned with our strategic plan.
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Capital improvements continue! The redevelopment of our back garden area—Garden of Respite and Learning—has been divided into three stages. Phase III will be completed in FY25 with the installation of shade canopies, a water feature, and a multi-level deck. The final project will be multipurpose, serving students, families, staff, and the community in a variety of ways. Staff can rejuvenate in the outdoor oasis during the workday, students will learn in the teaching gardens, and the multi-level deck will support staff and family programming. The completion of this project will support our goal of fostering community engagement.
Testimonial
“My boys have grown up here and I now have a 2-bedroom apartment in NW DC, and I love teaching.”
— BBI parent and teacher, Ms. Sad’e
