When families succeed, we all succeed. In order for the District of Columbia to remain a place that keeps and welcomes families, we must ensure that families have the information, access, and opportunities to succeed.
Public Education
- Office of the Student Advocate
- Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education
- State Board of Education
- My School DC
Family Support Organizations
- Families First DC
- Collaborative Solutions for Communities
- Georgia Avenue Family Support Collaborative
- Edgewood/Brookland Family Support Collaborative
- East River Family Strengthening Collaborative, Inc.
- Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative, Inc.
Family & Domestic Violence
- Family Violence Prevention and Services Program
- House of Ruth
- Ujima
- My Sister's Place
- DC Victim Hotline
Financial Supports
Food Security
Housing
Social Services
- Child Support Services Division
- Developing Families Center
- Strong Families Program
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Teen Pregnancy
Public Education
The Office of the Student Advocate supports students, parents, and families in their advocacy through parent education, one-on-one coaching, resource supports, and trainings.
The Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education is an impartial, independent, and neutral office that uses mediation and conflict resolution to resolve complaints and concerns for parents, families, and schools regarding public education in the District.
The State Board of Education provides policy leadership and oversight of public education in the District. SBOE advises the State Superintendent of Education and approves state-level policies affecting DC public education.
My School DC is the common application and common lottery for the District’s public school options. Find everything you need right here to learn, apply and enroll your child. Contact the My School DC Hotline at 202-888-6336 or email [email protected]
Family Support Organizations
Families First DC is an initiative by Mayor Muriel Bowser focused on families in Wards 7 and 8. It’s a neighbor- hood-based, whole family approach to provide upstream, primary prevention services and neighborhood driven resources. Click here to view a map of the Families First DC Success Centers. For more information, visit cfsa.dc.gov/familyfirst or email the team at [email protected].
The District has five neighborhood-based Collaboratives, which make up the city-wide Healthy Families, Thriving Community Collaborative network:
Collaborative Solutions for Communities (Wards 1 & 2) offers services ranging from family stability and truancy prevention to violence prevention. For more information, call 202-518-6737.
Georgia Avenue Family Support Collaborative (Wards 3 & 4) has programs designed to provide supporting services to youth, families, and residents to prevent the occurrence of child abuse and neglect. For more information, call 202-722-1815.
Edgewood/Brookland Family Support Collaborative (Wards 5 & 6) has services provided through family strengthening, workforce development, housing stabilization, and school-based programs. For more information, call 202-832-9400.
East River Family Strengthening Collaborative, Inc. (Ward 7) primarily supports families, children, youth and seniors through case management tailored to the family’s individual needs and desires. For more information, call 202-397-7300.
Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative, Inc. (Ward 8) offers direct-services initiatives, including rapid housing assistance, truancy prevention programming, and their men and boys program. For more information, call 202-889-1425.
Family & Domestic Violence
The Family Violence Prevention and Services Program is an initiative that supports the establishment, maintenance and expansion of programs and projects to prevent incidents of family violence. It also provides immediate shelter and related assistance for victims of family violence and their dependents that meet the needs of all victims, including those in underserved communities. Call 202-715-7627 for support.
House of Ruth helps survivors of domestic violence and homelessness learn the skills to live independently by offering safe housing, day care for children and support services for parents, and free counseling for women dealing with or recovering from domestic violence. For housing assistance, call 202-667-7001 ext. 320. For domestic violence support and counseling, call 202-667-7001 ext. 515.
Ujima, Inc.: The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community serves as a national, culturally-specific services issue resource center to provide support to and be a voice for the Black Community in response to domestic, sexual and community violence.
My Sister’s Place seeks to end domestic violence and empower survivors to live healthy, independent lives free from violence and abuse.
The DC Victim Hotline is available 24/7 by telephone, text, or online chat. Through a partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants and the National Center for Victims of Crime, the hotline provides comprehensive information, resources and referrals in the District of Columbia. To talk with a victim assistance specialist, contact DC Victim Services 24-Hour Hotline at 1-844-443-5732.
Financial Supports
Mayor Bowser’s Financially Fit DC initiative is designed to help residents understand and improve financial health and well-being. Take the first step toward financial fitness by getting started today.
CFSA’s Grandparent Subsidy Program provides monthly financial assistance to help you care for the child related to and living with you. If you are a DC resident raising your grandchild, great-grandchild, great-niece, or great-nephew, you may qualify. For more information, call 202-442-6100.
Greater DC Diaper Bank empowers families and individuals in need throughout the DMV by providing an adequate and reliable source for basic baby needs and personal hygiene products.
Food Security
Bread for the City provides food, clothing, medical care, and legal and social services to reduce the burden of poverty. For information on their food pantry, clothing program, healthcare, and more, visit https://breadforthecity.org/services/.
Capital Area Food Bank provides food assistance to hundreds of local organizations, along with direct distribution programs including after-school meals for kids and free produce markets. For more information about their work, visit https://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/what-we-do/.
Martha’s Table works to increase access to healthy food and support children and their families in making healthy choices. Visit https://marthastable.org/health-wellness-programs/ for information about the number of health and wellness programs they offer.
So Others Might Eat (SOME)’s food pantry offers non-perishable food items and fresh produce to those who need it. They also provide two hot, nutritious meals every day to those in need at their Dining Room. For more information about SOME’s basic needs services, visit www.some.org/services/basic-needs.
Housing
DC’s Department of Human Services provides emergency and ongoing housing support and services to help individuals and families experiencing homelessness, or at risk of being homeless, transition into or maintain permanent affordable housing.
Emergency or low-barrier shelters are designed to keep people safe from extreme weather conditions. For more information, call the 24-hour Shelter Hotline at 202-399-7093.
Families may access emergency housing through the Virginia Williams Family Resource Center, located at 920 Rhode Island Avenue, NE, Washington DC. If you are a family with children under 18 and need emergency shelter, please call the 24-hour Shelter Hotline at 202-399-7093.
DC Housing Authority administers several programs to help low- and moderate-income residents find affordable housing by providing vouchers to help participants pay rent in privately owned properties, including the Housing Choice Voucher Program.
DC’s Department of Housing and Community Development works with community-based nonprofits to provide housing counseling services and training to potential homeowners, current homeowners, and tenants. To apply for assistance or receive more information, visit https://dhcd.dc.gov/node/702332.
Social Services
The Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia’s Child Support Services Division help the person caring for a child to collect child support from the non-custodial parent. For a list of their resources and supports, visit https://cssd.dc.gov/node/162282.
The Developing Families Center promotes the empowerment of low-income families through the collaboration of two nonprofits service providers, Community of Hope Family Health and Birth Center and Edward C. Mazique Parent Child Center. Visit http://www.developingfamilies.org/services for more information.The Strong Family Program strives to strengthen the individual and family unit to foster healthy development. Their social workers and case managers provide a range of social services that include assessment of client needs, development of case plans, social work intervention, referral, and coordination of services. For more information, call 202-698-4293.
DC’s Department of Human Services’ Economic Security Administration determines eligibility for Temporary Cash Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and medical assistance.
Visit https://dhs.dc.gov/node/117542 to complete the application form. After the application form has been completed, mail or take your application to an ESA service center near you.
N Street Village supports homeless and low-income women in DC by offering supporting and recovery housing, healthy meals, health & wellness services, and employment support. If you are in need of assistance, visit https://www.nstreetvillage.org/get-help/.
Teen Pregnancy
The Teen Parent Assessment Program helps teen parents move toward self-efficiency by providing counseling, educational programming, parenting classes, and more to TANF eligible or teen parents under the age of 18.
DC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy is committed to reducing the teen pregnancy rate in the District by providing information about prevention for teens and parents, along with trainings and workshops for those working to help young people avoid pregnancy and disease.