About the HHS/ED Children's Center

The Center is located in the Department of Health & Human Services Switzer Building at 330 C St SW in Washington, DC, two blocks from the National Mall and across the street from the Federal Center SW Metro stop. We are licensed by the District of Columbia's Office of the State Superintendent of Education, and accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The HHS/ED Children's Center is overseen by an elected Board of Directors comprised of parents and non-parents. We are sponsored by the Departments of Education and Health & Human Services, and we receive oversight and support from the General Services Administration. Since September of 2009, daily operations of the Center are managed by Executive Child Development Center, a not-for-profit provider of early childhood education and development services which also operates centers for the National Institutes of Health and the Department of State.

Hours and Calendar

The Center operates from 7:00 AM until 6:00 PM each weekday, with the exception of Federal holidays and up to five professional development days each year. (See the calendar page for information about the specific closure days.) Enrollment in the Center is on a full-time basis only, and there are no limitations placed on the number of hours utilized by a family.

Waiting List

The HHS/ED Children's Center is open to all families, but due to the great demand for high-quality child care in the Washington, DC region and our sponsorship by the Departments of Education and Health & Human Services, the Center has a waiting list for enrollment. The waiting list operates on a priority basis, with the following established categories of priorities:

  1. siblings of the children of employees of ED and HHS who are currently enrolled in the Center;
  2. siblings of the children of employees of other federal agencies and departments who are currently enrolled in the Center;
  3. siblings of children that are currently enrolled in the Center from the general public, including federal contractors;
  4. children of employees of ED and HHS;
  5. children of employees of other federal agencies and departments;
  6. children of families of federal contractors;
  7. children of families from the general public.

Families can place children onto the waiting list as soon as they are expecting; a due date within the next nine months is required, and we ask that you call the Center after your child is born to provide us with a name, date of birth, and any change in the desired enrollment date.

The wait for a spot in the Center varies by age, time of year, and a child's priority for enrollment; our staff can tell you at any point in time where your child is on the waiting list, and often can tell you how many openings can be expected in a given period of time. Families are encouraged to check in with the center as often as they wish to determine their placement on the waiting list.

Tours

Families interested in learning more about the Center are encouraged to contact our staff to arrange a tour. Due to our location within a Federal building, we ask that all interested families call to center in advance, so we can clear you with security and arrange for appropriate staff to be on-hand to devote to the tour and any questions you might have.