Young parents in the District of Columbia care deeply about their children, who inspire them to work hard and create a strong future for their families. However, expectant and parenting youth in the District face challenges that differ from both older parents and their non-parenting peers. These youth, ages 24 and under, are navigating not only parenthood but also adolescence, completing education, entry into the workforce, ageism, and stigma, often while experiencing housing instability and economic insecurity.
“I’m 19, a hard worker, and the mom of a 9-month-old. My daughter gives me a reason to live, breathe, and wake up. She gives me a reason to stay stable, be more responsible, and not get into trouble.” —Ward 8 Young Parent
Expectant and parenting youth face unique barriers to housing, childcare, education, employment, healthcare, and more, with each barrier reinforcing the next. For example, because of their age and life experiences, a young parent seeking housing may lack the work or credit history, savings, or rental references that a landlord requires. Similarly, a young parent balancing limited childcare hours and their own school schedules may not be able to work the hours an employer prefers or enough hours to afford a typical rent in the District.
Although the District offers many programs that support families,1 few are designed specifically for parents under age 25. As a result, young parents often struggle to access services that are tailored to their unique circumstances. When the District fails to meet their needs, the consequences affect two generations at once: the young parent and their child. This creates preventable instability that undermines both immediate and long-term outcomes for young parents and their young children.
Investing in young parents is one of the District’s best opportunities to improve outcomes across generations. When young parents have the support they need to complete school, secure stable housing, access affordable childcare, and build economic stability, their children are more likely to thrive.2
Supporting young parents is an investment in both today’s families and the District’s future.
Estimating the Population and Demographics of Young Parents in the District
A significant barrier to effective policymaking for young parents is the lack of comprehensive data. Existing data focus primarily on youth experiencing homelessness or housing instability who are served by the District’s Department of Human Services (DHS), providing only a partial picture of this population. Due to data limitations, including those explained further below, DC Action is only able to provide best estimates of the population and demographics of young parents in the District. Better data is essential to understanding this population, identifying service gaps, and designing policies that meet young families’ needs.
Population Estimates
- Using the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey3 data, we see significant year-to-year changes in estimates of parents under age 25 in the District who live with at least one of their own children. The survey is based on parents and children who live together, so parents who don’t live with their children are not counted.Variability in this estimate occurs because4 a limited number of people complete the survey each year. In a jurisdiction as small as the District, asking about a population as specific as young parents can produce highly variable results depending on who receives and completes the survey in any given year. For example, in 2024, the most recent single-year estimate, the ACS estimated an average of 1,144 parenting youth in the District, compared with a single-year estimate of 3,447 in 2023. The most recent five-year population estimate, the average across single-year estimates from 2020 through 2024, was 1,403 young parents.5Because these three data points vary significantly, it is a best practice to also factor in the data’s margins of error to produce a population estimate that is as accurate as possible. Using margin-of-error ranges, we find the midpoint across recent data points is approximately 2,486.*
*DC Action research found that in 2023, the lower range of the data estimated 2,382 young parents in the District, and the upper range of the data in 2024 was estimated to be 2,589. It is therefore most likely that the true number of youth ages 15-24 living with their child was between 2,382 and 2,589, averaging out at 2,486 parenting youth.
- Birth rate data provide another important, but still incomplete, insight into the District’s population of parenting youth. This data captures the number of births to young parents, rather than the number of parents. The District’s Department of Health only tracks the age of the birthing parent, so the age of the non-birthing parent is not recorded.The table below compares District births to parents under age 25 in 2018 and 2024 with the total number of births to parents of all ages. Overall, District births to parents under 25 make up 14%6 of births.
|
Parental Age |
2018 Births |
2024 Births |
Change since 2018 |
|
<15 |
5 |
5 |
0% |
|
15-19 |
373 |
250 |
-33% |
|
20-24 |
1,255 |
844 |
-33% |
|
Total births to parents under 25 |
1,633 |
1,099 |
-33% |
|
All Births in DC |
9,212 |
7,615 |
-17% |
Teen birth rates have been declining for decades8 due to improved sexual health education, greater access to contraception and abortion care, and declining adolescent sexual activity. These trends do not, however, lessen the need for the District to invest in the young people who do become parents. Ensuring they have access to education, childcare, economic stability, housing, and healthcare remains critical to improving outcomes for both parents and children.
Gender
Data on young parents focus mostly on the birthing parent and the primary parent with whom the child lives, factors which both disproportionately represent women. While we do not have definitive data on the gender makeup of young parents in the District, the following insights help paint a picture of gender demographics as well as limitations of existing data:
- National census data9 show that while 86% of young mothers lived with at least one child, only 57% of young fathers lived with at least one child, and 44% of young fathers do not live with any of their children. While these rates are not specific to DC, we can presume this pattern applies to the District. If so, DC Action’s census-based estimate of 2,486 parenting youth is an undercount of all youth who hold parenting responsibilities in the District, with young men likely disproportionately underrepresented.
- The Department of Employment Services (DOES) reported that in 2025, the Summer Youth Employment Program (MBSYEP) employed 2,875 participants10 who identified as parents, a count that exceeds some of the recent census estimates, likely because the MBSYEP count captures more young fathers. This suggests that a more gender-inclusive way to track data is to ask about parenting identity or status, rather than household composition or whether a child is living with a particular parent.
- Of young parents experiencing homelessness in 2025 who completed the annual Homeless Youth Census survey, 99% identified as women.11 It is worth noting, however, that some young parents may be living in youth housing programs that do not allow cohabitation, creating barriers to support and family cohesion for young fathers.
Geography
The District maps births geographically by Ward12 for parents over age 15. The small sample size accounts for the lack of data for parents under age 15. In 2024, parents ages 15-1913 were most likely to live in Ward 8, followed by Wards 4 and 7. Parents ages 20-2414 were most likely to live in Wards 7 and 8, followed by Wards 4 and 5.
|
Ward |
Births between 15-24 |
|
1 |
123 |
|
2 |
34 |
|
3 |
18-21* |
|
4 |
184 |
|
5 |
157 |
|
6 |
53 |
|
7 |
238 |
|
8 |
284 |
In Ward 716 and Ward 8,17 78% and 83% of children under age 18 are Black, respectively. In Ward 4,18 37% of children are Black, and 28% are Latine. In Ward 5,19 52% of children are Black and 20% are Latine. In Ward 1,20 38% of children are Latine, and 30% are Black.
Without a reliable estimate of parenting youth and youth-headed households, the District cannot accurately assess need or design policies that effectively support young families.
Young Parents Disproportionately Experience Homelessness
Housing instability is one of the greatest barriers facing young parents in the District. Without stable housing, it is significantly more difficult for a young parent to complete school, maintain employment, and provide a secure foundation for their children.
In Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, DHS reported 1,00321 youth heads of household accessed housing services funded by the District. When compared with DC Action’s 2023-2024 estimated population of 2,486 young parents, this suggests that approximately 40% of young parent households experienced homelessness that year.
This figure likely understates the extent of housing instability experienced by young parents. Given the District’s high housing costs and the expense22 of raising a child, many more young parents, both young mothers and fathers, likely have unstable housing arrangements or rely on homelessness prevention and diversion programs23 but are not reflected in homelessness counts.
Young parents are also overrepresented within the District’s family homelessness system. In FY25, youth-headed households made up almost 20%24 of the heads of household in the family homelessness system, even though parents under 25 accounted for only 14% of births in the District. Furthermore, not all young parents experiencing homelessness are served by the family system, although the vast majority are. In FY24, 89% of youth-headed households were served by the family system, while 11% were served in the youth system.25
Racial disparities are also pronounced. In FY24, 89% of young parents experiencing homelessness identified as Black, 7.5% identified as Latine, and less than 1% identified as white, reflecting the ongoing impacts of structural racism and longstanding inequities in housing and economic opportunity.26
According to the District’s 2025 Homeless Youth Census, an annual survey of youth experiencing homelessness designed to better understand their experiences, homelessness among young parents was driven by unaffordable housing, family instability, and insufficient wages:
- 52% cited family housing insecurity as a reason for their current episode of homelessness.27
- 47% cited conflict with family or household members as a reason for their current episode of homelessness.28
- 32% cited being forced to leave or “kicked out” as a reason for their current episode of homelessness.29
- 51% had experienced homelessness before, either by themselves or with their family when they were a child.30
- 57% of youth heads of households were employed, but their income was not sufficient to meet their needs.31
Education and Employment Are Necessary for Young Parents to Achieve Economic Stability, Yet Little Data Are Available.
Many young parents must balance school completion goals, childcare availability, and the need for immediate income, often pushing them into lower-wage jobs with limited opportunities for advancement.
However, the District lacks robust data on educational and career outcomes for young parents. Neither the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) nor the charter school system reports on the overall graduation rate or educational attainment of young parents.
Similarly, the District does not collect comprehensive data on employment rates, earnings, or career advancement for young parents, restricting its ability to design workforce policies that effectively support young families. Limited data provide some insight into the challenges young parents face and the value of targeted supports:
- 52%32 of students connected to DCPS’s New Heights parenting support program graduated within four years, and 69% graduated within five years.33
- 54% of youth heads of households who experienced homelessness in 2025 had a high school diploma or higher level of education.34
- For youth heads of households experiencing homelessness, 23% worked in full-time roles, and 43% worked in part-time roles.35
A living wage for a one-parent, one-child family in the District is estimated36 at $107,494 annually, while a full-time worker earning the District’s minimum wage37 earns approximately $38,272 per year. The wide gap between a living wage and what many young parents can realistically earn contributes to persistent economic insecurity for both parents and their children.
Without more complete data on school enrollment, graduation, postsecondary attainment, and career readiness, the District cannot fully evaluate outcomes or identify where additional support is needed for success in education, employment, and career pathways.
High-Support Programs Help Young Parents and Their Children Thrive
Relationship-based, high-intensity, long-term supports are among the District’s most effective opportunities to improve outcomes for young parents. For young people who lack consistent support from family or other trusted adults, these relationships can be transformative.
Adolescence is a critical period for developing38 coping, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and interpersonal skills. A trusted adult in a supportive program can help young parents strengthen these skills while providing parenting guidance, connecting them to resources, and supporting their educational and career goals. These relationships can also reduce feelings of isolation and increase the likelihood that young parents will remain engaged in school and work.
The District already invests in programs that provide this type of support, including the DHS Teen Parent Assessment Program,39 DCPS’ New Heights Program,40 Home Visiting41 services, and intensive case management available through programs funded by DHS’s youth homelessness system.
Continued investment in and expanded access to these evidence-informed, relationship-centered programs can help more young parents achieve long-term stability for themselves and their children.
“Being a new mom feels very mysterious. I know that DC has a lot of resources and programs, but it feels like you can’t get connected to them without a social worker.”
—Ward 8 Young Parent
Opportunities to Improve Outcomes for Parenting Youth
Supporting young parents is one of the District’s greatest opportunities to improve outcomes across generations. With stable housing, affordable childcare, educational opportunities, and pathways to family-sustaining careers, both parents and their children are more likely to thrive.
While the District has made important investments in programs that support young parents, significant gaps remain. Young parents continue to face disproportionate rates of housing instability and limited access to coordinated services, and there remains insufficient data to guide policy and investment.
To better support expectant and parenting youth, the District should:
- Continue investing in and expanding programs specifically designed for young parents such as New Heights,42 the Teen Parent Assessment Program,43 Home Visiting models,44 and housing services operated by providers with expertise serving transition-age youth.
- Strengthen interagency coordination across the housing, education, workforce, childcare, and health systems that young families must navigate to help identify opportunities to streamline services and share data to better design services that effectively support young families.*
- Improve data collection across agencies and private- and non-profit sector partners to better understand the size, experiences, and outcomes of this population.
*An interagency collaborative may include the Department of Human Services, District of Columbia Public Schools, District of Columbia Public Charter Schools, Office of the State Superintendent of Education, DC Health, the Department of Behavioral Health, the Department of Employment Services, and the Child and Family Services Agency.
Additionally, the District must prioritize collecting data, including, but not limited to:
- Population: The total number of parenting youth, including both parent-headed and youth-headed households.
- Housing Stability: Use of homelessness prevention services, housing programs, length of shelter and program stays, exits to permanent housing, and system recidivism.
- Education Opportunity: School attendance, graduation rates, and postsecondary enrollment and completion.
- Economic Mobility: Workforce preparation, including education and training, employment and job retention, income and access to a living wage, participation in public benefit programs, and career advancement.
- Child and Family Well-Being: Child development outcomes, school readiness and achievement over time, and childcare access.
Better data will enable the District to design more effective policies, target resources where they are most needed, and measure progress over time. Investing in young parents is an investment in two generations, and in the District’s long-term educational, economic, and health outcomes.