About Us
The Family Place was founded in 1980 by a mission group from The Church of the Saviour, a local ecumenical church, which has helped establish many neighborhood health, education, housing, jobs, social services, and children ministries. Each one, like The Family Place, is separately incorporated and non-sectarian while maintaining its grounding in faith.
The Family Place is a welcoming and friendly place that has a commitment to work with families from a family centered and strength based perspective. It is a place where families can drop in, meet in groups, build and strengthen informal networks of support, participate in creative learning experiences, find direct assistance in problem solving, and receive support while working towards family and community goals.
The Family Place is open Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Parents receive individualized services and participate in group activities designed to increase their knowledge of child health and development, promote peer support, build confidence in their own abilities, and enhance long-term family stability.
The Family Place's original center serving the low-income Adams Morgan and Mount Pleasant communities of Washington, D.C. quickly became a haven for refugees fleeing civil wars in Central America. The Mount Pleasant Center now serves a diverse population from many ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The predominant language of the neighborhood and at the center is Spanish.
In 1991, Family Place's New Community Center was opened in the heart of the Shaw neighborhood, providing services to a predominantly African-American population. This center was closed in 1998; however, The Family Place has remained committed to serve to the English speaking population at our Mount Pleasant center and through partnerships with other community organizations. The Family Place currently has eleven full-time and 4 part-time staff, supplemented by many volunteers. Staff, volunteers, and participant families together create a rich and varied program that enhances family life and helps ensure a healthy future for our children.
The Family Place is a founding member of the national Family Resource Coalition now Family Support America. The Family Place staff has advised organizations throughout the United States and from other countries as well on providing high-quality comprehensive family support services.