D.C.’s Pay Equity Fund Is In D.C.’s New Budget Law

By: Miriam Edelman

DCNOW is pleased that D.C.’s budget (Bill Number B25-0785/Act Number A25-0501), which funds the critical Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund (Pay Equity Fund/Fund), became Law L25-0218 on September 18, 2024. This law became effective on September 18, 2024.

This piece follows up on DCNOW’s blog pieces, entitled “Child Care Must Be Funded in Washington, D.C.” and “D.C.’s Pay Equity Fund Has Been Funded.”

In August 2021, the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Budget Support Emergency Amendment Act of 2021 created the Pay Equity Fund. The Fund lets child care programs pay competitive wages to qualified staff.

DCNOW hopes that the Pay Equity Fund thrives, helping children, their families, and early educators. The District of Columbia can continue to be a model for early childhood education, as this fund “is a first-in-the-nation program aimed at achieving pay parity between early childhood educators and their K-12 counterparts.”