Where Every Child Belongs: An Inclusive Vision for Early Childhood Education

When Thomas Selishev speaks, his conviction is unmistakable. Even over a Zoom call, his voice carries urgency, but it is measured, purposeful. He traces his path into education to a simple principle: every child, regardless of background, deserves the best opportunities to learn.

That belief has guided his work as Managing Director of Strategy and Children’s Programs at The Family Place, where he oversees efforts to expand early childhood education and family supports across Washington, D.C. His vision is shaped by lived experience—navigating school as a newcomer to the United States, often underestimated, yet determined to prove otherwise.

“I wasn’t stupid, but I was treated like I was not smart,” he recalls. What he lacked in fluent English, he made up for in resilience, developing what he describes as an “incredible belief that nothing is impossible.”

Thomas Selishev, Managing Director of Strategy and Children’s Programs, The Family Place.

By the fourth grade, Selishev had already made a quiet promise to himself: never again would he accept a classroom that left children feeling unseen or diminished. That early vow has since evolved into a career built on empathy, high expectations, and systemic change.

Colleagues say Selishev’s greatest strength is not only his strategic vision, but his ability to bridge the realities children face with the systems meant to serve them. As an immigrant who entered the United States as an orphan, he brings a lived understanding of what it means to feel unseen in a classroom. That perspective shapes his work—recognizing the frustrations and aspirations of students on many levels, while also understanding what it takes to deliver programs that truly meet their needs. He often points back to a guiding phrase he keeps close: “If you think education’s expensive, try being ignorant.”

It’s the kind of mantra that feels less like a family saying and more like a professional compass. For Selishev, it continues to define the stakes of his work: ensuring that education is not a privilege, but a guarantee.

A Belief That the Environment Shapes Learning

For Selishev, the partnership between The Family Place and Natural Pod was a natural progression. The Family Place has spent decades building trust with immigrant and low-income families through bilingual, two-generation programs. Natural Pod has built its reputation on designing environments that honor children as whole beings and invite curiosity and dignity. “It’s not just furniture or programming,” he says. “It’s an alignment of values. Natural Pod is committed to designing environments that respect children, and The Family Place is committed to making sure every child—no matter their zip code—gets to learn in those kinds of spaces.”

Natural Pod Space Proposal, Infant/Toddler Environment

He sees The Family Place’s new ECE campus as a physical manifestation of those values. Each child who enters should feel they are worthy of the best and that they are being invested in. “Children deserve the best, regardless of income bracket,” Selishev says. “And they should never feel that anything is impossible.”

Over the years, Selishev has seen children at every stage—first graders learning to read, teenagers navigating complex emotions—and he is struck less by their differences than by what unites them: vulnerability, curiosity, and the need to feel safe and valued. “At every age, children are still asking the same questions,” he says. “‘Am I seen? Do I belong? Do I matter?’”

Join The Family Place in Celebrating a New Chapter

For Selishev, the new Ann Barnet Center—The Family Place’s state-of-the-art early childhood education campus—is designed to answer those questions with a resounding yes. To him, the new space will shape how communities affirm to children that they are worthy of the very best.

Spaces like this tell kids the truth, that they are worth investing in, that their future is limitless, and that education can open every door.
—Thomas Selishev

Designed to meet the growing demand for reliable, high-quality early childhood education in the district, the center is named in honor of The Family Place’s founder, Dr. Ann Barnet—a Harvard Medical School–trained doctor and pediatric neurologist whose legacy continues to inspire.

Through the years, Dr. Ann Barnet, Founder of The Family Place, Washington DC.

Opening in August 2026, the new campus will educate children in bilingual, culturally responsive classrooms for ages 0–5, building strong academic and social foundations during their most critical years. At the same time, parents can pursue studies at The Family Place Adult Public Charter School, advancing a two-generation model that strengthens families and expands economic opportunity across the community.

The campus will also serve as a practicum site for Child Development Associate (CDA) candidates, preparing future educators with hands-on experience in a high-quality learning environment. By uniting early learning, adult education, and teacher training under one roof, the campus will impact families and contribute to the long-term strength of Washington, D.C.’s early childhood sector.

To celebrate this expansion—and to honor Dr. Barnet’s remarkable legacy—The Family Place will host a gala in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, October 5, 2025. The event will mark the organization’s 45th anniversary as well as Dr. Barnet’s 95th birthday. Guests will be able to preview the new campus and see how it will expand The Family Place’s ability to provide families with essential resources and opportunities.

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