Important Updates to the DC Child Care Subsidy Program

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education, OSSE, has announced important changes to the DC Child Care Subsidy Program that will affect enrollment and attendance policies across the District. These updates carry serious implications for families, early childhood programs, and early childhood care professionals working every day to support children’s learning, care, and well-being.

According to OSSE, a waitlist for new subsidy enrollments will take effect on May 12, 2026. The agency stated that this decision comes in response to continued growth in program enrollment and is intended to prevent subsidy costs from exceeding budgeted amounts while allowing the program to continue operating within available funding.

Until May 11, 2026, families may still apply online or apply in person through a Level II provider or a DC Department of Human Services, DHS, service center. Families who submit a complete application with all required supporting documentation on or before May 11, and who are determined eligible, may still enroll and begin receiving subsidized early childhood services through their selected provider.

Beginning May 12, 2026, eligible families who submit complete applications will either be enrolled immediately or placed into a waitlist priority group based on OSSE’s classification system. Under the new policy, only families in Priority Group 1 will be able to enroll immediately. OSSE identifies this group as including children under protective services and children experiencing homelessness. Eligible families in all other priority groups will be placed on the waitlist.

OSSE has also announced a significant change to the program’s attendance policy. Starting May 12, 2026, eligibility for subsidized early childhood services will be terminated after 19 unexcused absences within a single calendar month. This replaces the current policy, which allows 30 consecutive unexcused absences.

Under the updated policy, early childhood programs must continue making at least two attempts to contact the family of a child who is not attending before that child reaches 19 unexcused absences. These contact attempts are intended to inform families that their child’s eligibility for subsidized services may be at risk of termination. OSSE also noted that if eligibility is terminated after May 12 and a family reapplies, that family may then be placed on the waitlist according to its priority group.

OSSE has shared that additional guidance for early childhood programs and DHS staff will be released in the coming weeks. The agency also issued a Frequently Asked Questions document and a formal Waitlist Policy, and encouraged stakeholders to share that information with families in their networks.

In its communication, OSSE noted that a draft version of the Child Care Subsidy Program Waitlist Policy was first shared in August 2025, and that revisions were made based on feedback from the DC early learning community. The agency stated that these changes are intended to help sustain the subsidy program in the face of rapid growth, and do not reflect a change in the District’s stated commitment to supporting access to early childhood education.

These updates are likely to raise questions and concerns across the early childhood community. For families, the changes may affect access to affordable early childhood education. For programs, they may affect enrollment stability and day-to-day operations. For early childhood care professionals, they are another reminder of how closely policy decisions shape the conditions under which the field works and families seek support.

DCAEYC encourages members, partners, and community stakeholders to review these updates carefully and to share the information with families and colleagues who may be affected.