I do not have kids and I have no plans to have kids but I am seeing my Ward 7 neighbors who do have families hurting and being pushed out of DC because they cannot choose between paying the rent and paying childcare.
Neighbors like my friend Natika, who can no longer afford her $21,000 a year childcare costs in DC. Natika invested in DC and is a proud Ward 7 property owner. Later this year, she is leaving DC to move to Illinois, where she can rely on family to offset some of her childcare costs.
Affordable child care in Washington DC is an oxymoron
I also want to speak about my neighbor, Heys Cooper. Here is a quote she shared:
“Affordable child care in Washington DC is an oxymoron. There is a cost to every option. I qualified for subsidized child care through the DC Department of Human Services because my child was born with a disability. However, very few child care centers were equipped to care for her. Therefore, even with assistance, I had to hire an in-home nurse and find a facility in Maryland. I am currently in $25k of credit card debt because I charged my child care needs. These funds could have been used for her college savings account or for so many other long-term educational needs. Changing child care in DC requires a more comprehensive examination into what families need and ways to make child care work while supporting healthy children.”
Travis Ballie is a Ward 7 resident.
