2000 Rosemount Ave NW at Park Road NW
“Dear PoPville,
Hopefully many of you are familiar with the Rosemount Center in Mount Pleasant in NW DC. Rosemount provides early childhood education and family support services to pregnant women, infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children and their families in its center-based and home-based programs. Since 1972, Rosemount has served many thousands of DC children and their families. Focused on helping DC’s neediest residents, Rosemount received its first Head Start grant in 1986 and its first Early Head Start grant in 1996.
This past Friday evening, Rosemount teachers (and then the larger Rosemount community) were notified that Rosemount’s landlord, the House of Mercy (HOM), has terminated their building lease as of August 2024. This is devastating for DC children and families, as early childhood education is at a premium in DC and the Rosemount Center is a model HeadStart school.
Rosemount parents and alum are coming together to advocate for solutions in hopes that Rosemount can keep its doors open and continue to play its vital role in DC’s early childhood education system. If folks want to learn more, feel free to review the FAQ we created regarding Rosemount’s closure. In short, House of Mercy terminated the lease without sharing their reason or plan. All we are asking right now is for them to come to the table to engage about a possible path forward to save Rosemount.
Attached (above) is a photo from Sunday’s impromptu event where parents, alum, and their children came together to chalk messages of support to and for the school. Please join us in advocating for Rosemount Center. Share this message, talk to your neighbors, and let’s come together to find a solution.”