Big dreams for DC’s
youngest children

Mission

For every child, the opportunity to reach their full potential

All children deserve a strong beginning and a limitless future. Under 3 DC harnesses the voices and power of parents with young children, caregivers, and others to create transformative social change. Our efforts center on the people experiencing racial and economic injustice every day. We shine a spotlight on the need for more public investments to support families with infants and toddlers. Together, we can set the city on a path to creating and sustaining a high quality, equitable early childhood system.

Values

Fighting for a system with equity at its core

We will be successful because we are leading with our values, standing in our convictions and engaging in innovative strategies. So, we’re hopeful DC will become a place where equity starts at birth for every family.

  • Racial Justice
  • Economic Mobility
  • True Diversity
  • Real Ownership
  • Structural Equity
  • Leverage Strengths

We believe that structural racism is often the root of the disparities facing Black and Brown families in the District. So, addressing racism is central to Under 3 DC.

We believe that being poor is not a character flaw. Simply because you can’t afford more doesn’t mean you don’t deserve better. So, to achieve our Under 3 DC goals we must be part of the larger anti-racist, anti-poverty movement.

We believe in the power of many different voices. So, we seek out racial, economic, gender, generational, institutional, and professional diversity in our Under 3 DC coalition to strengthen our work.

We believe that people closest to the pain should be closest to the power, and driving and informing the work. So, we take our cues from those most affected by racial and economic injustice. They are the architects of Under 3 DC.

We believe that there are great inequities and systemic, embedded, and entrenched disparities in our city. So, we make sure our near-term wins also serve the long-term District vision. Our Under 3 DC strategy is holistic.

We believe we are all experts in our own areas. So, we honor and build on the strengths, knowledge and skills of our communities. Under 3 DC members may sometimes disagree, but we always assume good intentions. We respect each other and do our best to act in an empathetic way.

Join our Coalition

Under 3 DC Movement

We are stronger together. Become a member and support the movement to create a more equitable and just DC for all children and their families.

Coalition

Strong Voices for Under 3 DC

Our campaign welcomes anyone working toward a more equitable and just DC for all. Together we’re fighting for full funding for the programs, services and workforce necessary for families with young children to thrive. Meet our diverse coalition.

Advocates for Justice & Education Logo

COALITION MEMBERAdvocates for Justice and Education

1200 G St NW Suite 725, Washington, DC 20005
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COALITION MEMBERNational Women's Law Center

11 Dupont Circle, NW, #800 Washington, DC 20036
American Academy of Pediatrics DC Chapter Logo

COALITION MEMBERDC American Academy of Pediatrics

n/a
Apple Tree Institute Logo

COALITION MEMBERApple Tree Institute

1801 Mississippi Ave SE 3rd Floor, Washington, DC 20020
Bread for the City Logo

COALITION MEMBERBread for the City Southeast Center

1640 Good Hope Road SE, DC 20020
Bread for the City Logo

COALITION MEMBERBread for the City Northwest Center

1525 7th Street NW, DC 20001
Bright Beginnings Logo

COALITION MEMBERBright Beginnings Infant and Toddler Center

3418 4th Street SE, Washington, DC 20032
Bright Beginnings Logo

COALITION MEMBERBright Beginnings Pre-K 3/4 Center

3640 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE, Washington, DC 20032
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COALITION MEMBERCentroNía Headquarters

1420 Columbia Road, NW Washington DC, 20009
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COALITION MEMBERCentroNía Upshur Street

1288 Upshur Street, NW Washington, DC 20011
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COALITION MEMBERCentroNía Cardozo

1200 Clifton Street, NW Washington, DC 20009
DC Children's Law Center logo

COALITION MEMBERChildren's Law Center

501 3rd St NW #800, Washington, DC 20001
Community of Hope logo

COALITION MEMBERCommunity Educational Research Group -Antioch Facility

1105 50th St. NE, Washington, DC 20019
Community of Hope logo

COALITION MEMBERCommunity Educational Research Group -Good Hope Rd Facility

2503 Good Hope Rd SE Washington, DC 20020
Community of Hope logo

COALITION MEMBERCommunity Educational Research Group -Minnesota Avenue Facility

4021 Minnesota Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20019
Community of Hope logo

COALITION MEMBERCommunity of Hope

4 Atlantic Street, SW Washington, DC 20032
Community of Hope logo

COALITION MEMBERCommunity of Hope Girard Street Apartments

1413 Girard Street, NW Washington, DC. 20009
Community of Hope logo

COALITION MEMBERCommunity of Hope Marie Reed Health Center

2155 Champlain Street NW Washington, DC 20009
Community of Hope logo

COALITION MEMBERCommunity of Hope Family Health and Birth Center

801 17th Street, NE Washington, DC. 20009
Community of Hope logo

COALITION MEMBERCommunity of Hope Rapid Rehousing and Employment Teams

3101 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, Washington, DC. 20032
Community of Hope logo

COALITION MEMBERCommunity of Hope at The Commons (Stanton Square Resource Center)

2375 Elvans Rd SE, Washington, DC 20020
Community of Hope logo

COALITION MEMBERCommunity of Hope Mississippi Avenue and Archer Park Apartments

1320 Mississippi Avenue, SE, Washington, DC. 20032
Community of Hope logo

COALITION MEMBERCommunity of Hope Hope Apartments

3715 2nd Street, SE, Washington, DC. 20032
Community of Hope logo

COALITION MEMBERCommunity of Hope at The Triumph (Short-Term Family Housing)

4225 6th Street , SE, Washington DC 20001
DC Abortion Fund Logo

COALITION MEMBERDC Abortion Fund

P.O. Box 65061, Washington, DC 20035
DC Action

COALITION MEMBERDC Action

1400 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
DC Appleseed Center for Law & Justice Logo

COALITION MEMBERDC Appleseed Center for Law & Justice

1111 14th St NW #510, Washington, DC 20005
DC Association for the Education of Young Children logo

COALITION MEMBERDC Association for the Education of Young Children

4224 6th Street, SE, Washington, DC 20032
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COALITION MEMBERDC Early Learning Collaborative

2405 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, Washington, DC 20020
DC Family Child Care Association logo

COALITION MEMBERDC Family Child Care Association

n/a
DC Fiscal Policy Institute logo

COALITION MEMBERDC Fiscal Policy Institute

1275 First Street, NE Suite 1200 Washington, DC 20002
DC Hunger Solutions logo

COALITION MEMBERDC Hunger Solutions

1200 18th Street NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20036
DC for Democracy logo

COALITION MEMBERDC for Democracy

n/a
DC Jobs With Justice logo

COALITION MEMBERDC Jobs With Justice

1226 Vermont Ave NW, Washington, DC 20005
DC Working Families logo

COALITION MEMBERDC Working Families

1101 15th Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20005
Educare Washington DC Logo

COALITION MEMBEREducare DC

640 Anacostia Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20019
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COALITION MEMBERDC Head Start Coalition

PO Box 1059, Washington, DC 20013
Fair Budget Coalition logo

COALITION MEMBERFair Budget Coalition

1419 V St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Faith Strategies Logo

COALITION MEMBERFaith Strategies

30 Kennedy Street, NE Washington, DC 20011
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COALITION MEMBERGreater DC Diaper Bank

1532 A St NE, Washington, DC 20002
Jews United for Justice logo

COALITION MEMBERJews United for Justice

1100 H St NW, Suite 630, Washington, DC 20005
Mamatoto Village logo

COALITION MEMBERMamatoto Village

311 47th St NE, Washington DC 20019
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COALITION MEMBERMany Languages One Voice

3166 Mt Pleasant St NW, Washington, DC 20010
Martha's Table logo

COALITION MEMBERMartha's Table

2204 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, Washington, DC 20020
Martha's Table logo

COALITION MEMBERMartha's Table at The Commons

2375 Elvans Rd SE, Washington, DC 20020
Martha's Table logo

COALITION MEMBERMartha's Table at The Maycroft

1474 Columbia Rd NW, Washington, DC 20009
Mary's Center logo

COALITION MEMBERMary's Center Headquarters

2333 Ontario Rd, NW Washington, DC 20009
Mary's Center logo

COALITION MEMBERMary's Center Fort Totten

100 Gallatin St NE, Washington DC 20011
Mary's Center logo

COALITION MEMBERMary's Center Petworth Health Center

3912 Georgia Ave, NW Washington, DC 20011
Mary's Center logo

COALITION MEMBERMary's Center Petworth Program Office

4302 Georgia Ave NW, Washington DC 20011
Mary's Center logo

COALITION MEMBERMary's Center Bernice Fonteneau

3531 Georgia Ave NW Washington, DC 20010
MomsRising logo

COALITION MEMBERMomsRising

n/a
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COALITION MEMBERMothers Outreach Network

n/a
National Children's Center logo

COALITION MEMBERNational Children's Center

8757 Georgia Ave, Suite 700, Silver Spring, MD 20910
National Children's Center logo

COALITION MEMBERNCC Early Learning Center and Early Intervention Center

3400 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave, SE Washington, DC 20032
NOVA Birth Partners logo

COALITION MEMBERNOVA Birth Partners DC

601 13th St, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20005
NOVA Birth Partners logo

COALITION MEMBERNOVA Birth Partners Capitol Hill

444 N Capitol St NW, Washington, DC 20001
NOVA Birth Partners logo

COALITION MEMBERNOVA Birth Partners Breastfeeding Center of Greater Washington

1020 19th St. NW #150, Washington, DC 20001
NOVA Birth Partners logo

COALITION MEMBERNOVA Birth Partners Collaboration Columbia Heights - Latin American Youth Center

1419 Columbia Rd NW, Washington, DC 20009
Nurse-Family Partnership logo

COALITION MEMBERNurse-Family Partnership National Service Office

8350 Richmond Highway, Suite # 233, Alexandria, VA 22309
Parents Amplifying Voices in Education (PAVE) logo

COALITION MEMBERParents Amplifying Voices in Education (PAVE)

1342 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009
Planned Parenthood logo

COALITION MEMBERPlanned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington

1225 4th St NE, Washington, DC 20002
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COALITION MEMBERSPACEs in Action

1420 Columbia Rd NW, Washington, DC 20009
The Early Childhood Innovation Network logo

COALITION MEMBERThe Early Childhood Innovation Network (MedStar Georgetown University Hospital)

3800 Reservoir Rd NW, Washington, DC 20007
The Early Childhood Innovation Network logo

COALITION MEMBERThe Early Childhood Innovation Network (Children's National Health System)

111 Michigan Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010
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COALITION MEMBERUnited Planning Organization

301 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
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COALITION MEMBERUPO Anacostia Community Service Center

1649 Good Hope Rd SE, Washington, DC 20020
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COALITION MEMBERUPO Petey Greene Community Service Center

2907 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, Washington, DC 20032

Read Our 2020 Impact Report

A Year in Review

Under 3 DC helped protect funding for health and subsidized child care programs. We reversed the mayor’s budget cuts and we won broad support for our plan to provide emergency grants to the child care sector.

Leadership

Executive Committee and Campaign Staff

Our executive committee members represent organizations dedicated to transforming DC’s early childhood system. Their talented leaders bring subject matter expertise, on-the-ground experience and proven track records in the District with game-changing campaigns.

The Under 3 DC campaign is staffed and led by professionals from the six organizations—DC Action for Children, DC Early Learning Collaborative, DC Fiscal Policy Institute, Early Childhood Innovation Network, Jews United for Justice, and SPACEs in Action.

Core Team
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Vanessa Lopez

Campaign Manager
DC Action
(She/Her/Hers)
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Natasha Riddle Romero

Community Organizer
DC Action
(She/Her/Hers)
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Travis Ballie

Organizing Director
DC Action
(He/Him/His)
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Ihkeem Ma'at

Collaboration & Advocacy Director
DC Early Learning Collaborative
(He/Him/His)
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Ruqiyyah Anbar-Shaheen

DC Action Director, Early Childhood
DC Action
(She/Her/Hers)
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Audrey Kasselman

Policy Analyst
DC Action
(She/Her/Hers)
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Aniyah Vines

Early Learning Childcare Organizer
SPACES in Action
(She/Her/Hers)

Executive Committee

Kimberly Perry
Executive Director
DC Action for Children

Carrie Thornhill
Executive Director
DC Early Learning Collaborative

Tazra Mitchell
Policy Director
DC Fiscal Policy Institute

Dr. Matt Biel
Co-Director, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
Early Childhood Innovation Network

Jacob Feinspan
Executive Director
Jews United for Justice

LaDon Love
Executive Director
SPACEs in Action

We also acknowledge the generous support of all the individual donors and funders who have supported our Birth-to-Three work since its inception.

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    Under 3 DC, care of DC Action
    1400 16th Street NW, Suite 740 | Washington, DC 20036

    For more information or to join the Under 3 DC coalition, contact Travis Ballie.

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