Homelessness among families is rising in the District of Columbia at an alarming rate and faster than any other demographic. Washington DC leads the nation in two divergent categories: the highest rate of child poverty and the least affordable “state” in which to live. Housing prices soar, while one in three children lives in a low-income household. As a result, 3,000 families applied for emergency housing last year and the system could only accommodate 19 percent of these requests. Children in families who are granted emergency housing are admitted into a system that compromises their mental and physical well-being, overlooks their needs, and even threatens their safety. It is easy to overlook the needs of homeless children in this numbers game, but the opportunity for a healthy and happy childhood has a very real expiration date.

Mission: The mission of the Homeless Children's Playtime Project is to nurture healthy child development and reduce the effects of trauma among children living in emergency family shelters in the District of Columbia.

Vision:  We believe that play is a human right that all children deserve, regardless of housing status.  We seek to help create a city that provides every opportunity for homeless children to succeed by advocating for affordable housing and safe shelters for all families. 

What We Do: Our trained and screened volunteers provide weekly activities, healthy snacks, and opportunities to play for the children at four shelter and transitional housing sites in the District of Columbia. In the past four years, 125 HCPP volunteers have served 450 children. 

The Family Portrait Project

The Family Portrait Project

All families deserve the opportunity to have family pictures, and many families who lose their housing are unable to salvage personal belongings. Many families living in shelters do not even own a photograph of their child. Children and families who are homeless are called the "hidden homeless" because they often live “doubled up” with friends or relatives and stay in shelters where they are not as visible as people on the street.

Over the past year-and-a-half, 150 families were photographed at the former D.C. Village Emergency Family Shelter through the Family Portrait Project. They each received three framed and enlarged pictures of their families. Some of the parents agreed to share their family portraits with you in hopes that public education can help harness the political will to address the affordable housing crisis in our city.

The Family Portrait Project is a program of the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project in partnership with photographer Tony Brunswick. It is sponsored by the Advisory Board Company, the Ramsay Merriam Fund and many individual donors large and small. This exhibit is made possible by the Executive Office of the Mayor.

For a sneak peak of the portraits, please visit http://www.thefamilyportraitproject.com. Bring your photo identification and stop by to see these much talked about photographs before the exhibit closes on January 14th!