The Meaning of a Dollhouse

Four-year-old Naim liked the painted cloud and sun on the roof and the words handwritten in gold inside the rooms: Explore. Dream. Discover.
Meet Maggie Spak: Read Aloud Volunteer

There’s a kind of magic that takes place when you read out loud to children. There is the shared experience of being transported into the narrative, the feeling of care and respect that the act of speaking and listening transmits, and most of all the joy of discovering or rediscovering a love of books and […]
An April Mother’s Day at the Kennedy

It was just a normal day at The Kennedy, NCCF’s Short Term Family Housing program in D.C.’s Ward 4. The Kennedy, which serves as a temporary home for homeless DC children and their parents as they transition to stable housing, can be a busy place in the mornings with residents heading off to school, work, […]
Meet NCCF Volunteer Pamela Mintz

A seamstress by trade, Pam began working with us at our Greentree Family Shelter in 2016. Since that time and always accompanied by her trusty sewing machine, Pam has logged hundreds of volunteer hours with us. “Miss Pam,” as she is called by NCCF clients and staff, is one of our most consistent volunteers. Faithfully […]
Invisible and Homeless

Over the century that The National Center for Children and Families (NCCF)has been in existence, we have held true to our core value of empowering the community to support the needs of poor and struggling children, youth and families through a comprehensive array of services which ensure a “more equitable and inclusive Montgomery County.” Our […]
The Kennedy Street Freedom School: We Found a Home!

The Freedom School has offered so much for so many people and for the young scholars at NCCF’s newest facility The Kennedy Short-Term Family Housing, it has been an escape. We’ve made it a place where you are truly free to jump, shout, run, write, sing, explore talents, and be the best you possible. But, […]
Dancing the Night Away at the Greentree Harvest Party

Earlier this week, with the help of more than 50 volunteers, NCCF supplied dozens of children served by our Family Services Division with the opportunity to select Halloween costumes, create crafts, have their faces painted, eat candy, and dance at an October harvest party. The evening started off with families arriving together. Dinner for 85 […]
The National Center for Children and Families Selected to Provide Services at Short-Term Family Housing Program in Ward 4
The National Center for Children and Families (NCCF) was selected by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser to operate The Kennedy, the first of several new Short-Term Family Housing programs to open this fall. The Kennedy will open its doors to families at the beginning of October. A ribbon cutting ceremony, hosted by Mayor Bowser, is planned […]
The Neediest Kids: A Spotlight on Alexandria City Public Schools

Located in Alexandria, Virginia, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) has been a proud partner of the Neediest Kids, a program of The National Center for Children and Families (NCCF), for more than 15 years. Thanks to the Neediest Kids’ continued support, ACPS is able to assist students who lack many of the basic necessities such […]
Santa and the Cabin John Volunteer Fire Department Visit Greentree Shelter

The first clue something was happening was the blaring fire engine sirens. Slowly the children living at The National Center for Children and Families’ (NCCF) Greentree Shelter began to gather on the front steps. And then they saw him! At the driveway entrance, perched atop a fire engine blaring Christmas music, was Santa Claus waving […]