

Trusted high-quality child care for children aged 6 weeks to 5 years in the heart of Petworth—serving Washington, DC families for over 40 years with specialized infant care, toddler care, and pre-K programs.
For more than 40 years, families in Washington, DC have relied on GAP for high-quality child care during their children's earliest years. Today, many former GAP children return as parents—sometimes even as educators—continuing the legacy of our gap community center, which offers exceptional infant care, toddler care, and pre-K programs in DC.
Choosing the right child care for your baby is one of the most significant decisions you'll face as a new parent. Visit our GAP community center in DC to meet our dedicated infant care teachers, tour our classrooms, and discover how we provide high quality child care. We support every aspect of your baby's routine, including feeding, sleeping, development, and communication, ensuring a nurturing environment for both infants and toddlers as they grow into pre-K.
GAP Community Child Development Center, established in 1982, is a licensed non-profit childcare center in the District of Columbia. Known for its high quality child care, GAP has been nationally accredited by NAEYC since 2009. Committed to providing exceptional care and education, GAP offers infant care, toddler care, and pre-K programs that prioritize the developmental needs of young children. Families looking for quality child care in DC can trust GAP, a leader in child care DC, to support their children's growth and learning.
Serving children from six (6) weeks to five (5) years old, GAP Community Center provides a high-quality child care program that emphasizes multicultural education and development. Designated as one of only 30 OSSE Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Program (PKEEP) centers in the District, GAP in DC adheres to the DC Early Learning Standards (DC ELS) to ensure that children excel in a nurturing environment, offering exceptional infant care, toddler care, and pre-K resources for families seeking child care DC.
At GAP DC, we provide high-quality child care by utilizing the Creative Curriculum Teaching Strategies alongside the DC Common Core curriculum to nurture the 'whole child.' Our child care program focuses on facilitating cognitive, emotional, and physical growth, making learning fun and exploration exciting. Whether through our infant care, toddler care, or pre-K programs, we ensure that new concepts transform into thrilling adventures for every child in the GAP community center.
Our administrators and teaching staff at the gap community center are committed to best practices in high quality child care, including infant care and toddler care. Through consistent professional development and training, we maintain excellence in our pre-K programs while embracing innovation in our teaching methods, ensuring the best child care DC has to offer and bridging the gap in DC.
GAP celebrates the rich multi-cultural and multi-ethnic backgrounds of our children and families within our child care programs at the GAP Community Center in DC. We foster a community built on respect, inclusion, and awareness, ensuring that our high-quality child care, infant care, toddler care, and pre-K services create a diverse environment. This welcoming mosaic reflects dignity and a deep understanding of self and others, truly embodying what it means to be part of the GAP in DC.
At GAP, every moment is an opportunity for growth—whether it’s dancing to Zumba, counting in English and Spanish, or taking those first steps in our high quality child care programs. Explore our vibrant gap community center through a virtual tour and experience the dedication of our infant care, toddler care, and pre-K services. We look forward to welcoming you to the GAP family!

GAP Community Child Development Center will be closed on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, in observance of Veterans Day.
We will resume normal operating hours on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
Thank you, and we honor and appreciate all who have served.