A D.C. day care that was rocked by a gas explosion now has a new, temporary home.
On Jan. 18, a large blast ripped through the 1200 block of Marion Barry Avenue SE in the Anacostia neighborhood. A building that was home to a convenience store was leveled and Baby Einstein Child Development Center was among the damaged buildings.
But in the midst of having to rebuild, the day care's owner Regina Snead, who for more than 10 years has served families in Southeast D.C., is also finding new ways to help parents out.
Snead’s friend, who runs Matthews Memorial Child Development Center less than a mile away, has opened up her doors.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
“Childcare is limited in D.C., especially affordable childcare. We know the importance of it and she definitely understands my plight,” Snead said.
But space is limited. Right now, Snead is only able to take in about 18 kids, whereas in her old building she could take care of 52.
Still, it’s a big difference for parents who are once again able to lean on Baby Einstein for support.
“I was elated. I was excited. I was glad to have an answer for my parents. I know they’ve been waiting for me. Everybody’s like, ‘Ms. Snead, what are we gonna do?’ So I was super excited,” Snead said.
On the day of the blast, firefighters got a call at 9:30 a.m. for a gas leak at the meter of the building that would explode. They contacted Washington Gas and began evacuations.
Snead and her staff quickly left the building as soon as they smelled gas, making sure that all 16 kids, between 2 months to 4 years old, got out safe.
Surveillance video shows the inside of the building during the explosion, which sent items flying across the room and blew windows out.
Snead feels lucky it wasn’t worse.
“It’s a wonderful experience because they get to stay together. They know that other people out there care about them, so I think it’s a great experience for them,” she said.
It could be about six months before the Baby Einstein facility is able to reopen its doors. But they’re not starting from scratch–because they have the support of so many.
“I know my community. They are willing to help. I got so much support from other day care centers. It’s amazing. Anything they had that they could spare, they were willing to give. They were willing to bring it over,” Snead said.
Snead has set up an online fundraiser to help with expenses. The day care is also asking for child care supply donations. For more information on how you can help, you can call the center at (202) 610-5437.
