Parenting Center
The Parenting Center provides families with the support, guidance, and enrichment needed to raise young children in the city. LGBTQ and straight, couples and single parents, Jewish and non-Jewish, biological and adoptive, people of all colors and abilities — all families are warmly welcomed. Classes and programs are designed to meet the developmental and social needs of infants and toddlers (newborns through age 4), to create meaningful bonding experiences for caregivers, and to provide practical skills and solutions, advice, and community-building opportunities for parents and parents-to-be.
We offer a wide variety of Sunday and weekday classes for children ages 0-4 and their caregivers, as well as workshops for parents, parents-to-be, and folks who want to be parents.
Upcoming Workshops for parents and parents-to-be
These days, so much is out of our control, but there is no better time to educate yourself about estate planning for you and your loved ones. Taught by Andrew Friedman, an estate planning attorney and brand-new father himself, this hour-long virtual meeting will cover the basics of estate planning, what documents you need (wills, trusts, powers of attorney), how to protect your family in case of unforeseen circumstances, and how you can execute your Will and estate planning documents even while practicing social distancing. Bring your questions!
Thursday, April 29, 11:00 AM
FREE but registration is required
Led by Sarah Marks, founder and president of Nannies by Sarah
Join us online for the company of other new parents and a relaxed conversation about finding the right kind of childcare for your family. Sarah Marks, founder and president of Nannies by Sarah, will discuss the pros and cons of different childcare options and the benefits of hiring a nanny. She will also share strategies for hiring a nanny that meets your family’s needs, paying special attention to the complexities of childcare in the age of Covid. Bring your questions – we’ll spend a lot of time talking through participants’ specific situations. Babies warmly welcomed!
Raising children to build a just world is a life-long process, as well as a difficult challenge for parents to navigate. Join us for a two-part series with expert educator Dr. Nabina Liebow, who will take us through the learning and practical steps necessary to raise anti-racist children and help us create a cohort of race conscious parents in our community.
This workshop is designed for anyone who wants to understand how white supremacy and white privilege affect all parts of our lives and how to bring these ideas into conversation and action in parenting. It is meant as a beginning, and not to be comprehensive or all-encompassing.
Although we understand that life is unpredictable, we request that you commit to both Part 1 and Part 2 of this workshop in order to honor the learning process and receive the full benefit of this workshop. Attendance will be capped in order to create an intimate cohort of parents.
Part 1 (May 4, 8:00-9:30 PM): Discussing race and racism with your children is a vital part of antiracist and race conscious parenting. But some people might feel a little rusty on the basics! In the first part of the workshop, Dr. Liebow will give a “Crash Course in Racial Literacy” to provide an important framework and context for race conscious parenting. This session will go over the basics of anti-racist thought and ideology, as well as challenge participants to explore their own biases and thought processes before they are able to address these ideas with their children. By the end of this session, participants will gain a deeper understanding of race, white supremacy, white privilege, and antiracism.
Part 2 (May 11, 8:00-9:30 PM): In the second part of the workshop, parents will learn strategies for helping their child develop an antiracist consciousness and how to apply concepts learned in the first session to raising their children.
Part 3 (optional): As follow-up to Dr. Liebow’s sessions, we are offering a monthly 1-hour meeting for parents who have participated in this workshop to come together and follow up with each other, insure accountability, share thoughts and resources, and continue the work of anti-racist parenting. This monthly meeting will be facilitated by Sonya Weisburd, MSW, EDCJCC’s Director of Social Justice and Volunteer Programs.
This program is brought to you by the Edlavitch DCJCC Parenting Center and Morris Cafritz Center for Social Responsibility
3 Thursdays: May 6, May 13, and May 20
8:00-9:00 PM
$62 for the three-week session
Facilitated by Taylor Lerner, Psy.D
Are you expecting baby #2? Looking to create a community with other second time parents to exchange ideas and find support? This group will meet weekly via Zoom for three weeks to provide a safe space for second time parents-to-be to discuss their experiences and learn from one another. We will explore several topics, including: managing your big kid’s (big!) feelings before, during, and after welcoming the new baby; kid-care and self-care with two; navigating new relationships and new roles; and the complicating factors of Covid-19. The group will be kept small so that connections can be fostered easily, even in a virtual space, and also so that in-person outdoor meet-ups can be organized safely if the group wants.
Thinking about growing your family or looking for support after struggling to conceive?
Join us for an informal discussion about different paths to family building. Our panel will include a fetility doctor, representatives from an adoption agency and the DC foster care system, a lawyer who facilitates egg donor and gestational carrier agreements, and parents who have built families in a variety of ways. The program will consist of brief formal presentations from each of our panelists followed by lots of time in breakout rooms for more intimate conversations and questions.
LGBTQ and straight, couples and single parents, Jewish and non-Jewish — are all warmly welcomed. Come prepared to ask questions, get support, and connect with other people on the path to parenthood.
Co-presented by the EDCJCC’s Parenting Center & GLOE – the EDCJCC’s Kurlander Program for GLBTQ Outreach and Engagement
The Edlavitch DCJCC embraces inclusion in all its programs and activities. We welcome and encourage the participation of all people, regardless of their background, sexual orientation, abilities, or religion, including interfaith couples and families.