DC Child Care Subsidy Program Removes Barriers to Access for Young Parents

Tatiyana Bell and Mary Katherine West

I was 16 when I became a mom. I was in the middle of my 10th grade year when I had my daughter. At first, my mom was able to watch my daughter while I was at school. But eventually, it became too difficult to arrange care with my mom, and I decided to put my daughter in childcare. Because childcare is very expensive in DC and I could not afford it, I needed a voucher, also called a subsidy, which is a discount that the District provides for parents who need help paying for child care. It was hard to apply for the voucher because there are a lot of requirements to complete the application and I didn’t have anyone to help me. I had to miss school a lot because I had to go to a building across town in person many times to turn in documents and paperwork to try to get approved for the voucher. 

Once I got the voucher, I had to find childcare centers that accept vouchers. Back then a lot of places were skeptical of vouchers, and I really wanted to find a good daycare for my daughter. So I had to miss more school to visit daycare centers and see if they were a good fit. Luckily, I found a place down the street from my daughter’s dad’s house that was also close to my school.

Fortunately for other parents, DC has now updated its policies to make the voucher and child care more accessible. Here’s a summary of the improvements: 

All parents

• Can apply for the subsidy online, instead of having to submit paperwork in person at the Department of Human Services office. However, parents can still apply in person at 112 childcare centers across the District, if desired.
  
• Receive notification from OSSE about whether or not they are eligible for a subsidy within 10 business days of submitting an application. 

Parents under age 19

• Have less required paperwork to demonstrate eligibility 
• Automatically qualify for $0 co-payments for child care
• Are exempt from work and school requirements

Parents experiencing homelessness 

• Automatically qualify for $0 co-payments for child care
• Are exempt from work and school requirements
• Can immediately enroll their child at a child care center when a homelessness prevention program or homeless services program submits a referral. Parents can access care right away and then complete eligibility paperwork within 60 days. 

These changes help make it easier for young parents to find, afford, and enroll their children in early education programs. If these policies were in place when I was applying, I would have definitely applied for a voucher way sooner. Now that it is simpler and less stressful, any and all young parents that need childcare should apply. This will mean their child can have consistent and quality care while they finish school or go to work. 

This map shows all 252 child care providers that accept the subsidy. Check if the child care center in your area is one of 112 providers where you can apply on site. Or apply online. Families experiencing homelessness can apply at the Virginia Williams Family Resources Center. 

The complete guidelines for the child care subsidy program are available here. 

Flyer details in English can be found here.

Los detalles del folleto en español se pueden encontrar aquí.