Since its founding in 1958, National Children’s Center (NCC) had a vision: to create a “home” for children with special needs and aid families in a time of ignorance and obscurity. In 1961, it occupied the space on 6200 2nd Street NW and housed an inaugural class of 25 for the summer, who would subsequently lay the groundwork for decades of innovation and development.
Today, the nonprofit organization remains a sanctuary for overlooked communities and underrepresented families throughout the D.C. metropolitan area, and is celebrating 65 years of inclusion, compassion, and empowerment with an honorary gala at The Ronald Reagan International Building on Oct. 10.
“Every five years we come together to share the success of the organization and also speak a little bit about the future. When we think about all the work that we’ve done over the last 65 years, it’s also touching on the rich history of NCC and why the organization even came to fruition,” said NCC CEO Terrance King.
The National Children’s Center’s 65th anniversary gala promises an evening with just as much entertainment as reflection. With a cocktail reception, seated dinner, and live musical performances on the agenda, the night predicts nothing short of a celebration; but also an opportunity to learn about the institution’s history and transformative community-based services that have impacted the lives of many individuals since 1958.
“It was a vision for a leader back then to see the need for supporting families and individuals who had disabilities.” the organization’s current CEO told The Informer. “Sixty-five years later, we’re still standing strong, providing even greater support and different types of programmatic space in regards to individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
King reflected on the center’s legacy throughout the District and how the 65th commemoration, alongside the continued efforts of the foundation, reflect an ongoing commitment to enhancing the lives of people of all ages, backgrounds and disabilities.
“We have been doing early learning and early intervention for many, many, many years. It’s been a staple of who we are,” King explained“When folks look at early learning and early intervention, they think about National Children’s Center and the work that we’ve been doing in previous years, but more importantly, the work that we’re doing now.”
What Does the National Children‘s Center Do?
Since its inception, National Children’s Center – which achieved 60 years in 2018 – has built a reputable education system with services for babies as young as 8 weeks old to geriatric patients living independently. Serving more than hundreds of residents annually, the establishment has been able to guide early childhood development and create a nurturing environment to help children and adults lead fulfilling and productive lives.
Inclusive opportunities and educational resources like vocational day services, residential programs, and “Baby Bloomers Urban Farm & Fruit Orchard” underscore the institution’s mission to enhance patients’ livelihood. The organization also works to include tools that highlight nutrition education, intervention strategies, and building strong relationships with clinicians and educators to prioritize patient support and engagement.
Carolyn Pruitt, NCC assistant director, explained the early intervention center has proven to be “critical” to the community and support of families.
“The sooner that children are able to have those resources, then they’re able to access different…milestones, being able to move up the ladder, along with their peers,” Pruitt told The Informer. “A lot of families may feel that they’re not sure what to do when faced with certain situations, but we’re here to allow them to know that we’re in this together and that it’s just not them, but it’s so many families who could use a resource such as ours.”
In addition to the emphasis on early childhood development, the center prides itself on personalized operations that serve adults in need, as well. According to King, the largest component of NCC is its residential population, who have seeked refuge in programs that have led to employment, empowerment and independent living.
Deryck Chase, a single parent whose daughter has been with NCC for more than 20 years, commends the organization for fostering a collaborative atmosphere where parents and children can be involved in treatments and developments, while still establishing themselves outside the center’s four walls.
“[National Children’s Center] has allowed me to be able to work and support [my daughter] because it is [difficult to find] people to take care of her,” Chase said. “It has helped her to develop into an exceptional young lady without me having that constant worry of how she’s going to be taken care of and how I can work without a problem.”
Now, Chase’s daughter is a 41-year-old woman forging her path in the world and leading a life filled with confidence, in no small part to the diligent contributions of the children’s center, the proud papa explained.
“I can’t imagine programs like NCC not being there. I would not have had the opportunities to work, there wouldn’t be the opportunity to have my daughter develop beyond being a child in need of care,” he told The Informer. “My daughter is a confident individual, there’s less occurrences of the behaviors that took us there in the first place. So, I just can’t imagine [my] life without [NCC].”
While the organization has been life-changing for families like Chase’s, King and Pruitt said NCC would not have evolved and been so successful over the years had it not been for partnerships and collaborations with other community leaders and advocates.
In his first year leading the organization, King told The Informer that he hopes to build on National Children’s Center’s legacy of serving District families.
“Our focus is to continue to be that vessel in Ward 8, that opportunity to provide the services and support for children, [but] not only in Ward 8, for those who might be…looking for a very inclusive and compassionate place that their children would want to be,” King said. “It’s about us growing the services and support that we’re doing so that we can continue to be that vessel of work, that vessel of an organization.”
For more information, visit nccinc.org.