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THE DOWNING STREET PLAYGROUP INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 203742057 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE P33 · Human Services · Small ($100K-$1M) · downingstreetplaygroup.org
revenue
$227K
expenses
$231K
net assets
$265K
employees
7
program ratio
95%
mission · from form 990

EDUCATIONAL AND GENERAL ACTIVITIES AND DAY CARE FACILITY.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Downing Street Playgroup Inc operates as a cooperative preschool in New York City's West Village, serving children ages 2 to 4. Founded in 1969, it offers a play-based, developmentally appropriate curriculum with strong parent participation. The program emphasizes socialization, exploration, and family involvement in a licensed early childhood setting.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Parent Cooperative Model
Parents serve as classroom assistants one day per month, participate in monthly meetings, and share administrative duties to support low tuition and community engagement.
Threes/Fours Program
Part-day and full-day options for children ages 3–4, including a five-day weekly schedule, with curriculum emphasizing exploration, cooperation, and developmental readiness.
Twos/Threes Program
Part-day and full-day options for children ages 2–3, with schedules on Tues/Thurs or Mon/Wed/Fri, focusing on socialization, play, and early learning through structured and free activities.
activities · 3 groups

What they do

  • Infection Prevention & Control Protocols 1 activity
    • Implement health and safety practices in preschool operations
      Maintains clean classrooms and facilities, implements regular handwashing and hand sanitizer use (including during outdoor activities), ensures ventilation through open windows and air purifiers, and requires all children and adults to be up to date on vaccinations as mandated by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, with protocols in place for responding to suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases including mask use.
  • Early Childhood Education & Development Programs 1 activity
    • Operate a cooperative preschool program for children ages 2 to 4
      Provides early childhood education for children ages 2 to 4 in a cooperative setting, operating from 9am to 2pm, five days a week, following the New York City public school calendar, with up to 15 children served at a time in a classroom staffed by two full-time certified teachers and supported by rotating parent helpers.
  • Regular School Community Meetings 1 activity
    • Organize parent participation in administrative and operational management
      Requires one parent from each family to assist in the classroom approximately one day per month and organizes mandatory monthly parent meetings to distribute administrative and operational responsibilities among parents, including roles such as treasurer, secretary, and web-master.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$227K
Contributions & grants$7K3%
Program service revenue$219K97%
Investment income$160%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$231K
Program expenses95%
Admin / overhead5%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$205K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$277K
Cash$275K
Investments$0
Liabilities$12K
Net assets$265K
Liquid reserves14.3 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +1.3%
relationships · 4

Who they work with

  • Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Government — Follows DOHMH guidelines for health, safety, and vaccination requirements.
  • New York City Administration Government — Granted use of city-owned property for the preschool’s operation
  • New York City Department of Health Government — Licensed by the New York City Department of Health
  • New York City public schools Government — Aligns preschool calendar with the New York City public school system.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Experiential, Theme-Based Curriculum
    methodology: experiential_learning
    By using hands-on, theme-based learning activities, we produce holistic child development because experiential methods engage cognitive, social, emotional, and physical domains simultaneously in ways that abstract instruction cannot.
  • Family-Educator Partnership Model
    methodology: family-educator_partnership
    By structuring education as a partnership between families and educators, we produce deeper engagement and more effective learning outcomes because shared responsibility strengthens accountability and aligns home and school environments.
  • Inclusive Community as Educational Foundation
    methodology: inclusive_community_building
    By intentionally building a diverse and inclusive school community, we produce stronger educational outcomes because children and families benefit from exposure to varied backgrounds and perspectives, fostering empathy and resilience.
  • Mixed-Age Classroom Learning
    methodology: mixed-age_classroom
    By organizing classrooms with mixed-age groups, we produce accelerated social and cognitive development because younger children learn through observation of older peers, while older children reinforce their learning and develop leadership through mentoring.
  • Parent Cooperative Model for Cost and Engagement
    methodology: parent-cooperative_cost_reduction
    By operating as a parent cooperative, we produce high-quality early childhood education at lower tuition because active parent participation reduces staffing costs and increases family investment in the learning process.