By Berna Artis, Executive Director, DCAEYC and Daniel Hains, NAEYC

Washington, D.C., has long been recognized as a national leader in early childhood education. Our city has shown what is possible when policymakers make intentional investments in young children, families, and the educators who work with them.

That progress is now at risk.

Mayor Bowser’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget eliminates the salary component of the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund, a $60 million cut that would directly affect more than 4,000 educators, the majority of whom are Black and Brown women across the District. At the same time, the proposal underfunds the child care subsidy program at levels that would leave many families on waitlists and reduce access to care for thousands of children.

These are not isolated budget lines. They are interconnected pillars of a functioning early childhood system and a critical part of an economic infrastructure. 

Early childhood educators are teachers. They support language development, early literacy, social-emotional growth, executive functioning, problem-solving, and the relationships that have a significant impact on a child’s lifelong trajectory. For too long, these professionals have carried enormous responsibility while earning wages far below similarly credentialed educators in K–12 settings. 

That is why credentials matter. Degrees such as an Associate’s or Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education are not arbitrary requirements. They reflect preparation in child development, curriculum design, family engagement, inclusion, language acquisition, assessment, health and safety, and responsive teaching practices. These competencies directly influence the quality of learning environments children experience. The years from birth to age five are the most critical period of brain development. This is when children build the cognitive, emotional, and social foundations that impact future learning, health, and success. Teaching during these years requires specialized knowledge, intentional practice, and deep understanding of child development.

If society values strong beginnings for children, then it must value the professionals who create them. We do not strengthen the field by lowering expectations for educators. We strengthen it by supporting pathways to higher education, rewarding professional growth, and compensating early educators in parity with other teachers whose work is equally essential.

The Pay Equity Fund was created to address that inequity by helping establish compensation parity based on education and experience. Thousands of educators trusted that promise. Many pursued degrees, credentials, and professional growth, believing the city valued their contribution and was committed to strengthening the profession. Rolling back that investment now sends a troubling message: professionalization is encouraged until it must be funded. 

This was a deliberate investment. The Pay Equity Fund was never meant to be temporary or symbolic. It was created in 2021 as a first-in-the-nation policy solution and paired with dedicated tax revenue generated from the District’s highest-income earners. This was an intentional public policy decision: asking those most able to contribute to invest in the workforce that supports children, families, and the city’s economy.

That context matters today.

When revenues created to advance educator pay equity are redirected elsewhere, the issue is no longer simply budget tightening. It becomes a reversal of a public commitment made to thousands of educators and the families who rely on them. Trust matters in public policy. So does consistency.

Child care is an educational issue and an economic infrastructure. When families cannot find or afford reliable care, parents miss work, reduce hours, turn down promotions, or leave the workforce entirely. Employers across sectors feel the impact through absenteeism, turnover, and reduced productivity. When educators leave the field because compensation is unsustainable, classrooms close. When classrooms close, families lose options. When families lose options, the broader economy slows. In that case, no amount of affordable care will help. This is why subsidy funding and educator compensation must work hand in hand. One without the other weakens the entire system.

Emerging research, including from Mathematica, reinforces what educators and families already understand: when teachers are fairly compensated, programs experience greater stability, educators remain in classrooms, and children benefit from stronger relationships and more consistent care. Stable educators mean stable classrooms. Stable classrooms mean working families can thrive. Thriving families mean a thriving city. 

A Defining Choice for D.C. and the Nation

The District now faces a defining choice: continue leading the nation in early childhood innovation or reverse course.

The implications of this choice have the potential to reverberate far beyond the District. The documented benefits of the pay equity fund, which evidence shows exceed costs, demonstrate to the rest of the nation what is possible when policies respect, recognize, and compensate early childhood educators as professionals. As other states (and the federal government) weigh their commitments to early childhood education and educators, they are looking to the District for leadership and evidence of impact. Walking away from this commitment doesn’t just harm educators and families in D.C., it risks undermining efforts across the country to recognize and compensate the educators supporting our youngest children and their families. 

We urge the D.C. Council to fully fund both the Pay Equity Fund and the child care subsidy program. Doing so is not supporting one sector. It is supporting children, working families, community-based providers, small businesses, and the long-term strength of our local economy.

The strongest communities invest where success begins – in the earliest years. Washington, D.C., must continue to lead.