At OSSE Town Hall, DC Early Childhood Community Raises Alarm Over Subsidy Waitlist and Pay Equity Changes

DCAEYC team joined a virtual town hall this week hosted by Under 3 DC, where educators, parents, advocates, and program leaders heard new details from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, OSSE, about changes to the DC Child Care Subsidy Program and the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund.

OSSE officials said the District will begin a waitlist for new child care subsidy enrollments on May 12, 2026, citing budget constraints and rising program costs. Families currently receiving subsidies will continue to receive them if they remain eligible and complete redetermination on time. Siblings may still be added to existing cases.

But families applying after May 12 will face a different process. OSSE said only children in Priority Group 1, including children under protective services and children experiencing homelessness, will be able to enroll immediately. Other eligible families will be placed on a waitlist.

The agency also confirmed a change to the attendance policy tied to subsidy eligibility. Beginning May 12, children may lose eligibility after 19 unexcused absences in a single calendar month. The current policy allows 30 consecutive unexcused absences.

OSSE also addressed changes to the Pay Equity Fund, including lower minimum salary levels that took effect in January. Officials said the program remains in place, but acknowledged the strain the changes are putting on providers and educators.

Much of the meeting focused on testimony from community members, who described the likely effects on programs, educators, and families. Providers spoke about staff losses and financial instability. Parents raised concerns about losing access to care and being unable to return to work. Educators described how pay cuts and uncertainty are affecting retention.

DCAEYC Executive Director Berna Artis used her testimony to raise concerns about how the new waitlist could work in practice.

“I think my biggest concern right now is, knowing what I know, listening to colleagues who are running early childhood programs and home-based programs, even just with the Pay Equity Fund and how the system has glitches and going back and forth and trying to correct a lot of different things, I’m just worried that this waitlist is going to be very difficult to manage,” Artis said.

She also questioned what protections would be in place for families affected by administrative delays or errors.

“In the past, the programs would not get paid, but then the family was eligible to reapply or complete their application. Now, they are facing losing their spot and going back on the waitlist. What are the checks and balances that will be in place, and how are families not going to be harmed in that way?” she said.

The meeting ended with a call from organizers for continued advocacy as the District’s budget process moves forward.