DCAEYC Attends Under 3 DC Briefing on New Pay Equity Fund Research at the Wilson Building

On April 22, DCAEYC attended Under 3 DC’s press conference at the John A. Wilson Building, where advocates, researchers, parents, program leaders, and public officials gathered to discuss new findings on Washington, DC’s Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund. The briefing offered a timely look at what is at stake for DC’s early childhood system as budget conversations continue across the District.

Moderated by Bibi Otero, Senior Advisor to the Under 3 DC Coalition, the event opened with a reflection on DC’s long history as a leader in early childhood policy. Otero spoke about the District’s early commitment to Universal Pre-K and the belief that early education is real education. She also made clear that Pre-K was never intended to be the finish line. It was part of a larger vision for a strong birth-to-five system, one that depends on a stable and fairly compensated workforce. That point shaped the entire afternoon.

The research, conducted by Mathematica and commissioned by DC Action, the Washington Area Women’s Foundation, and the Early Care and Education Funders Collaborative, examined the impact, cost, and economic return of the Pay Equity Fund. Owen Schochet, Senior Researcher at Mathematica and Director of the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Impact and Cost Effectiveness Study, presented the key findings.

According to the analysis, the Pay Equity Fund generated a 21 percent return on investment in fiscal year 2024. The program’s total estimated cost was $76.42 million, while its estimated economic benefits reached $92.54 million. In practical terms, every dollar invested generated about $1.21 in benefits for the District.

Those numbers matter, especially because FY24 marked a major shift in how the program operates. After initially providing direct payments to educators, the Pay Equity Fund moved into its longer-term facility payroll model, aligned with a salary scale connected to DC public school teacher compensation. Mathematica’s findings showed that even with higher costs under this model, the program continued to produce benefits that exceeded its investment.

Schochet explained that the increased investment was tied to stronger workforce outcomes. Larger wage supports helped improve recruitment, retention, and workforce capacity. By the end of FY24, the Pay Equity Fund had increased DC’s early childhood workforce by nearly 11 percent. That growth matters because workforce stability affects whether programs can keep classrooms open and whether families can access reliable early learning options.

The study also found that families received the largest share of the program’s economic benefits, about 78 percent, through increased access and improved quality. That finding was reinforced by the parents who spoke after the data presentation.

LaWanda White, a DC parent and business owner, described what reliable early learning means for a working family. She spoke about the difficulty of trying to work while caring for a young child when care is unstable, and how quickly that instability affects income, clients, and a family’s ability to remain in the city. When early learning is reliable, parents can work, plan, and support their families with greater stability.

Aaliyah Wright, a mother, program manager, and community advocate, spoke from both personal and professional experience. She described the confidence families feel when children are with educators who know them, support them, and remain in their classrooms long enough to build meaningful relationships. Her remarks brought the research back to daily life. Fair compensation helps create consistency, trust, and quality in early learning environments.

Program leaders also shared what the Pay Equity Fund has changed inside early childhood settings. Travis Harmon spoke about the years when many educators earned wages that made it difficult to remain in the field, even while they were doing work that shaped children’s development and school readiness. He shared the story of an educator who continued advancing her credentials over several years, earning a CDA, then an associate degree, and later a bachelor’s degree. Before Pay Equity, that growth did not necessarily come with meaningful compensation. With the Pay Equity Fund, her salary began to reflect her education, experience, and commitment.

Audrey Kasselman, Senior Policy Analyst with DC Action and Under 3 DC, connected the research to the current budget debate. She addressed the need for more early learning slots, more options, higher quality, and lower costs for families. Her response focused on the workforce at the center of those goals.

As she explained, a larger early childhood system cannot be built on a shrinking workforce. When compensation is too low or uncertain, educators leave. When educators leave, classrooms close, programs reduce capacity, and families have fewer options. The Pay Equity Fund was designed to address that exact problem by investing in educator compensation.

The briefing also included remarks from Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, who spoke about the importance of the program to DC’s broader early childhood ecosystem. Her remarks reflected what many in the room already understood: access, affordability, and quality all depend on having skilled educators who can afford to stay in the profession.

DCAEYC is grateful to Under 3 DC, DC Action, Mathematica, and the partners who brought this research and conversation forward. As budget decisions continue, DCAEYC remains committed to elevating the voices of early childhood education professionals and supporting public investments that strengthen children, families, programs, and the District as a whole.