"On a scale of 1 to 10, I am a 9.5 since joining BBI,” says Sad’e. “My boys have grown up here and I now have a 2-bedroom apartment in NW DC, and I love teaching. The only reason I’m not a 10 is because I’m still saving to buy a car.” Life wasn’t always a 9.5 for Sad’e. Four years ago, she was a single mom, struggling to raise her child and hold a job. She was living in an unsafe neighborhood and couldn’t afford childcare. A robbery at gunpoint finally prompted her to make drastic changes. Sad’e’s stepmom recommended Bright Beginnings (BBI), and she immediately signed up and entered BBI’s Parent Internship program. Through this program, she completed her Child Development Associate (CDA) license. As Sad’e worked towards her CDA, staff guided her through career mapping and setting life goals, making sure she received the resources needed. Now a full-time substitute teacher at BBI, Sad’e wants to foster her love for children by becoming a Lead Teacher. Her 5-year-old son graduated from BBI last June and her 2-year-old son is currently enrolled at BBI and thriving. Life is pretty good these days for Sad’e. All she needs is the car to make it just about perfect.

Sad’e’s success is rooted in the philosophy that children are better served when the entire family is supported. We provide 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. Making an investment in children and their families at this critical stage of early development ensures that children are set up for success and will contribute to narrowing persistent racial and socioeconomic disparities in academic achievement.