National Child Research Center

National Child Research Center, founded in 1928, is Washington, DC's oldest continuously operating preschool. Located in Cleveland Park, it serves roughly 150 children ages 2 to 6 in a co-educational day program. Ninety-five years of continuous operation is rare in independent preschools anywhere.

Teaching here is built on collaboration. Classroom teachers work daily alongside speech-language pathologists, special educators, and family liaisons. This multi-disciplinary team shapes curriculum based on observation and research rather than preset lesson plans. Teachers partner with families on individual child progress instead of working alone. Spanish instruction runs throughout the program.

The school's defining commitment is active inclusion. It enrolls children with special needs and staffs classrooms to support full participation. For educators seeking preschool work where inclusive values run deep into daily practice, this is not an afterthought.

Day-based roles eliminate residential expectations. Teachers work school-year or year-round schedules with clear paths for advancement. The school maintains over $8.8 million in net assets with consistent fundraising growth. This financial stability directly funds competitive salaries for the Washington, DC area, ongoing professional development, and robust staff benefits. In a region where preschool compensation often lags, this backing matters.

National Child Research Center hires classroom teachers, assistant teachers, speech-language pathologists, and special educators. Administrative openings appear periodically. For day school faculty in the DC region seeking an established, inclusion-focused preschool with transparent financial strength and team-based teaching culture, the school offers institutional stability uncommon in early childhood education.