About Us

Under 3 DC is a growing community of early childhood educators, child care program directors, health professionals, neighborhood-based organizations, nonprofit advocacy groups, business leaders, and parents working together as a coalition to ensure the Birth-to-Three For All DC law receives its full funding.

A diverse group of advocates and supporters, some wearing purple Under 3 DC shirts, stand together on the steps of a government building. The group is smiling and posing for a group photo in front of the building with the number '1350' visible above the entrance.

Who We Are

Under 3 DC’s broad coalition believes every child deserves a strong start and a limitless future. Together, we work to set the District of Columbia on a path toward creating and sustaining a high-quality, equitable early childhood system.

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Our History

The District’s early childhood education community came together in early 2020 as Under 3 DC to support Birth-to-Three in its entirety (after passage of the 2018 legislation), with the significant goal of building a better-connected, more supportive early childhood system that works for all DC families with increased public investments in child care, health, and education programs that chip away at long-standing disparities in many District neighborhoods.

The components of Birth-to-Three were originally included in the early learning community’s Universal Pre-K legislative push that began nearly twenty years ago. However, concerns from DC elected officials about the potential legislation’s cost and size necessitated splitting the legislation into two parts—Universal Pre-K for three-and-four year olds, which the DC Council passed in 2008, and Birth-to-Three.

Soon after its founding, Under 3 DC came together during the COVID pandemic to demand that the District’s elected officials save our child care sector with funding to help these businesses stay afloat and keep doors open. When the Bowser administration placed early childhood educators at the back of the line to receive vaccines to help them stay healthy, our coalition succeeded in reversing that order. Early educators received their vaccinations alongside teachers from DC Public and Charter Schools.

After working tirelessly alongside the DC Council to save child care during the pandemic, Under 3 DC worked to establish early childhood educator pay equity in 2021. Our coalition did the legwork and research to make the compensation increase happen, convincing the Council to approve a modest tax increase on the District’s wealthiest residents to pay for the program, which includes free health insurance for child care teachers and staff.

A group of young children sit in a circle on a colorful alphabet rug in a classroom, while one child stands confidently with their arm raised. An educator sitting on the floor next to them is smiling and holding up a book, engaging with the children in an interactive reading activity.

Mission

For Every Child, the Opportunity to Reach Their Full Potential

All children deserve a strong beginning and a limitless future. Under 3 DC harnesses the voices and power of parents with young children, caregivers, educators, and others to create transformative social change. We shine a spotlight on the need for more public investments to support families with infants and toddlers, especially in communities experiencing racial and economic injustice. Together, we can set the city on a path to creating and sustaining a high-quality, equitable early childhood system.

Values

Fighting for a System With
Equity at Its Core

Under 3 DC will be successful because we, as a coalition, lead with our values, stand in our convictions, and engage in innovative strategies to improve our early childhood system. As a community, we are working toward a time when DC will be a place where equity starts at birth for every family.

Racial Justice

We believe that structural racism is often the root of the disparities facing Black and Brown families in the District. So, addressing racism is central to Under 3 DC.

Economic Mobility

We believe that being poor is not a character flaw. Simply because you can’t afford more doesn’t mean you don’t deserve better. So, to achieve our Under 3 DC goals we must be part of the larger anti-racist, anti-poverty movement.

True Diversity

We believe in the power of many different voices. So, we seek out racial, economic, gender, generational, institutional, and professional diversity in our Under 3 DC coalition to strengthen our work.

Real Ownership

We believe that people closest to the pain should be closest to the power, and driving and informing the work. So, we take our cues from those most affected by racial and economic injustice.

Structural Equity

We believe that there are great inequities and systemic, embedded, and entrenched disparities in our city. So, we make sure our near-term wins also serve the long-term District vision.

Leverage Strengths

We believe we are all experts in our own areas. So, we honor and build on the strengths, knowledge and skills of our communities.