WASHINGTON (October 1, 2024) – Under 3 DC released the following statement regarding the recent recommendations from the Early Childhood Educator Equitable Compensation Task Force about how best to limit fiscal pressures on the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Program through Fiscal Year 2028.
“Following Mayor Bowser’s shameful proposal to eliminate the Pay Equity Fund earlier this year that threatened to undermine the District’s groundbreaking advances in early childhood education and abandon promises of fair pay for early educators, we are grateful to see Task Force recommendations that minimize reductions to teacher pay, advance equity across the child care sector, and thoughtfully adjust the Pay Equity Fund funding formula in light of budget pressures this fiscal year. We remain concerned, however, that the District’s failure to fund the full, ongoing needs of the Pay Equity Fund – including full participation in HealthCare4ChildCare, commonsense increases for cost of living and workforce growth, and true parity with public school educator salaries – will hinder the urgent expansion of high-quality, affordable child care needed by District families. Going forward, we ask that Mayor Bowser and the DC Council ensure the program receives adequate funding each year so all educator salaries grow commensurate with their qualifications and experience so the early learning sector can expand and thrive by retaining the educators who children and families depend on for safe, developmentally supportive care.”
Review the Task Force recommendations in full HERE. Key recommendations include:
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Retaining the Task Force’s original proposed salary scale for all educators in compliance with the District’s early educator credential requirements;
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Increasing Pay Equity Fund awards for home-based early learning programs, for facilities participating in the child care subsidy program, and facilities caring primarily for children under age 3, relative to other participating early learning programs;
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Rightsizing the Pay Equity Fund formula for partial-year programs and part-time staff;
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Reducing Pay Equity Fund awards for educators who have not met OSSE’s credential requirements and reducing administrative funding for both early education programs and for OSSE.