Washington, DC (October 21, 2025)—In what is a tough budget year for the District of Columbia, Mayor Bowser and the DC Council severely underfunded early childhood education programs, including the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund, which has raised wages for thousands of educators and made child care more accessible to District families. The inevitable consequence of this budget shortfall is pay cuts. Today, the DC Council voted to mitigate the harm. However, the program’s underfunding this year, and the Mayor’s defunding of it next year leave the stability of the Pay Equity Fund in question, and the child care sector in a precarious position overall.
Below is a statement from DC Action Director of Early Childhood Ruqiyyah Anbar-Shaheen on behalf of Under 3 DC regarding today’s vote and its implications for early educators, children, families, and the District’s economy:
“The DC Council took an important step today to minimize the worst impact of the Mayor and Council’s decision to underfund the Pay Equity Fund. However, this means District lawmakers must continue to work toward full funding for early educators by securing the $1.5 million the Council budgeted on a contingency basis for the program and Pay Equity, and Mayor Bowser reprogramming the remaining funding necessary to avert pay cuts. Under 3 DC has consistently raised concerns about underfunding the Pay Equity Fund; however, it is unfair to balance the budget on the backs of educators. The Council was unable to secure the necessary funds over the summer to prevent the inevitability of today’s pay cuts, despite the rising cost of living. We are grateful to the Council, however, for adopting salary adjustments that best balance the principles of progressivity and fairness.
The Pay Equity Fund has been one of DC’s most immediately successful investments in education. It has grown and stabilized the workforce and improved the quality of child care that District children receive; however, all of that is at risk. We cannot assume that early educators’ dedication to their field will outweigh their concerns about economic stability for too long. Unless the Mayor and Council act to fully fund the Pay Equity Fund and child care as a whole, educators, children, families, and our economy will pay a price we cannot afford.”