Publications

The next mayor of the District of Columbia should announce Childcare for All at the start of the new administration, setting a bold vision that every family can access high-quality childcare and no family pays more than 7% of its household income for care.

The District of Columbia’s Childcare Subsidy Program is critical infrastructure for children, families, the local workforce, and the District’s early care & education system. More than 7,000 DC families currently rely on subsidies to afford childcare that would otherwise be financially out of reach.

On Tuesday, June 23, 2026 the DC Council passed the District’s fiscal year 2027 (FY27) budget, adding critical investments to the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund and the Child Care Subsidy program.

My testimony will focus on the urgent need for strong and sustained funding for the early childhood education system, specifically the child care subsidy program and the Pay Equity Fund. Thank you Mr. Chairman, and to all the Councilmembers who have expressed their support to protect critical early childhood education funding.

For DC’s early childhood system to function, the Council must fully fund both the Child Care Subsidy Program and the Pay Equity Fund. Together, these investments make the system work - one ensures families can access care, while the other ensures there are qualified educators and stable programs to provide it.

The Mayor’s proposal eliminates the salary component of the Pay Equity Fund - a roughly $60 million cut in FY27 - while maintaining $12 million for HealthCare4ChildCare. It fundamentally undermines the program's purpose: ensuring that early educators are paid comparably to DCPS teachers.

On December 18, 2025, the Under 3 DC coalition published a memo outlining guiding principles for how the District should implement a potential waitlist for the Child Care Subsidy program in a way that prioritizes transparency, coordination, and clear communication with families and providers.

The Pay Equity Fund is the nation’s first dedicated public funding stream designed to close the pay gap between early childhood educators and public school teachers, reflecting a commitment to recognizing early educators—disproportionately women and women of color—as essential to the education system.

There are three major threats that will significantly impact provider operations through the remainder of fiscal year (FY) 2026 and through the FY2027 financial plan.