We’re All In: Investing In Family Supports

Martha’s Table is dedicated to providing parents and caregivers with the support and tools they need to thrive in their roles. Our Family Engagement umbrella of programming provides the critical link for families to thrive together. 

Our menu of programs under the Family Engagement includes the following: 

• Family Visiting program offers individualized help to families through access to resources relevant to family goal-setting, parenting, healthcare, and early childhood development. The goal of this Head Start program is to provide parents and other primary caregivers the tools they need to establish trusting connections with their children and to enable them to cultivate high-quality learning environments in their homes. Additionally, a sense of community is encouraged among the participating parents and guardians through monthly gatherings. These get-togethers provide an opportunity for all families to communicate with and pick up new skills from one another and develop new friendships. Residents of wards 7 and 8 who are expectant parents or caregivers of children less than three years old are eligible to apply for our Family Visiting program here. 
• Baby & Me Early Parenting program, developed in collaboration with Community of Hope, provides expectant women and their babies with access to prenatal and postnatal care, as well as assistance for their overall health and wellbeing.  You must be a new mother or expectant mother residing in Ward 8 to enroll in the Baby & Me Early Parenting program. Funding support for Baby & Me is generously provided by the Colonel Harland Sanders Foundation, Inc., a charitable entity created by the late Colonel Harland Sanders, founder of KFC and represented in the DC area by Joseph A. Baldinger, Director. To learn more about the Baby & Me Early Parenting Program, click here 
• The Baby Sprinkle is a celebration, held periodically throughout the year, bringing together new mothers for opportunities to socialize, participate in activities, and receive resources. The event is modeled after baby showers and creates an atmosphere of excitement and joy. Baby Sprinkle is open to expecting and new moms living in the neighborhoods surrounding Martha’s Table, moms currently enrolled in Martha’s Table programs, and team members. To register for the June 25, 2022, Baby Sprinkle event, click here. 

• The Diaper Hub is a partnership between Martha’s Table and the Greater DC Diaper Bank providing diapers to families in our community every week. On Mondays from 11am to 2pm, diapers are distributed at Martha’s Table at the Commons, 2375 Elvans Rd SE.  Families may only pick up diapers once every four weeks.  Families are welcome to pick up diapers once every four weeks and must show proof of official documents with their child’s name and birthdate at the first visit.  Official documents that are accepted include medical cards, birth certificates, and health certificates. The document can be a copy or a clear photo shown via mobile phone.  
• District Dads Program program is a supportive space created in partnership with the Capital Youth Empowerment Program (CYEP) that brings together male caregivers with the goal of focusing on personal growth and sharing stories of their experiences caring for children. Participants get together once a month to discuss a wide range of topics, including financial literacy, housing, custody, and much more. The program is open to fathers living in Washington, DC with preference given to fathers living in Ward 8. To enroll, click here. 

We realize that being a father also means being a provider, and it’s hard to separate those two. The way that our society works most of the time you have to have gainful employment to meet the financial needs of being a provider. We’ll talk to our dads about the definition of “provider” and how it does not solely rest on a financial level. But money is important. We don’t want to sugarcoat it. We’re looking to promote economic mobility. We see dads and try to encourage them. Give us a five year picture of where you see yourself. –Reggie Morris, Director of Workforce Development at CYEP

• Parent University is a twelve-week program that aims to improve parental confidence and abilities, as well as minimize the number of behavioral issues shown by children aged 2 to 5 years old.  Formerly known as the Chicago Parenting Program, Parent University meets once a week via zoom and is guided by our Family Engagement Manager. The program is open to all District residents with preference given to Ward 8 residents. Registration is required. 
• Parent Cafe is a Martha’s Table-supported, parent-led activity that promotes social connections and assistance to parents in our community. It weaves in the Five Protective Factors: parental resilience, social connections, concrete support in times of need, knowledge of parenting and child development, and children’s social and emotional competence. There are monthly themes and a variety of connected subjects. Parent Cafe is hosted every last Wednesday of the month at 5:00 p.m. via zoom. Parent Cafe is open to all parents and caregivers in our community. Registration is required. Email Dynecia Robinson, Family Engagement Coordinator, at drobinson@marthastable.org to register.