The Barbara Chambers Children’s Center (BCCC), originally established as the Columbia Road Children’s Center, was founded in the spring of 1968 by a diverse group of parents from the Adams Morgan, Mt. Pleasant, and Columbia Heights neighborhoods. These parents envisioned a nurturing environment where their children could meet and learn together, despite the racial tensions following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. Through their dedication, the Center quickly became a model of quality early childhood education, where families, staff, and children collaborated to foster a rich learning community.
BCCC’s first location was in the Calvary Methodist Church on Columbia Road, and in the summer of 1973, it relocated to its current site at 1470 Irving St. Barbara Chambers, the Center's founder, dedicated herself to the cause of supporting local children and families. Following her passing in 1982, the Center was renamed in her honor.
The 1980s brought transformative changes to BCCC. Amid civil conflicts in Central America, the DC area saw an influx of refugees from El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala, many of whom settled in neighborhoods near the Center. This shift enriched the community’s cultural landscape, and today, BCCC primarily serves Hispanic children and their families.
As the need for quality early childhood education grew, BCCC responded by expanding its reach. BCCC #2 opened in the Shaw neighborhood in 2014, followed by BCCC #3 in upper Columbia Heights in 2016, and BCCC #4 in Mt. Pleasant and BCCC #5 in Shaw in March 2022. Collectively, the five centers now support over 430 children across infant, toddler, Pre-K, and school-age Before and After programs, embodying BCCC’s ongoing commitment to community-centered care and education.
