About the CollectiveThe DC Childcare Collective (DCCC) was founded at the request of community organizers in the summer of 2005 to provide childcare to parents involved in social justice activism in DC.
We are an all-volunteer group founded on the belief that mothers, women of color, and people from low-income backgrounds are critical leaders of social justice movements. |
Why Childcare?
Childcare responsibilities make it difficult for mothers and caregivers to become and remain involved in community organizing. A lack of affordable childcare in DC compounds the challenge.
We believe children are an important part of the community, and every child deserves quality care that meets their needs. Childcare is a community responsibility, and should not fall disproportionately on women of color and people with low incomes.
To that end, the DCCC provides safe, empowering, and fun childcare in political solidarity with organizations in the DC Metro area. Our mission is to make social justice work more accessible for people with childcare responsibilities.
We believe children are an important part of the community, and every child deserves quality care that meets their needs. Childcare is a community responsibility, and should not fall disproportionately on women of color and people with low incomes.
To that end, the DCCC provides safe, empowering, and fun childcare in political solidarity with organizations in the DC Metro area. Our mission is to make social justice work more accessible for people with childcare responsibilities.
Our Mission
The DCCC provides free childcare that is engaging, empowering, safe, and fun for grassroots, progressive organizations. We also promote childcare as a social justice issue -- we raise awareness among our membership and our wider communities about issues that parents and guardians with low incomes face.
To Achieve Our Mission, We:
- Are accountable to children, their parents and guardians, and the organizations we partner with.
- Build and sustain a collective of volunteers with the capacity to provide quality childcare for our partner organizations.
- Strengthen relationships with organizations, parents, and guardians by communicating about our work, and by being responsive to their concerns.
- Develop ways to engage with kids that fulfill their needs, encourage creativity and cooperation, and respect them as people.
- Learn about political movements and organizing in DC and the role our collective plays in these movements.
- Evaluate our own relationship to systemic privilege and oppression, as well as how those realities affect our relationships to the people and organizations with whom we work.
- Build and sustain a collective of volunteers with the capacity to provide quality childcare for our partner organizations.
- Strengthen relationships with organizations, parents, and guardians by communicating about our work, and by being responsive to their concerns.
- Develop ways to engage with kids that fulfill their needs, encourage creativity and cooperation, and respect them as people.
- Learn about political movements and organizing in DC and the role our collective plays in these movements.
- Evaluate our own relationship to systemic privilege and oppression, as well as how those realities affect our relationships to the people and organizations with whom we work.