D.C.’s program to deliver raises to childcare workers has become a victim of its own success, forcing some difficult decisions from lawmakers.
The Council created a “pay equity fund” several years ago to send money to daycare facilities to help them increase employee salaries, and by all accounts, it’s met the city’s goals: More daycares apply to join the program each year and more teachers benefit from higher wages. But the District hasn’t increased funding to keep pace with the additional demand, and now lawmakers are wrestling with what to do next.
For now, they’ve settled on a solution that Council Chair Phil Mendelson dubbed the best option on a “menu of bad choices.” Lawmakers voted Tuesday to slash the pay rates that daycare facilities are required to match as a condition of earning this funding, aiming to keep the same number of teachers enrolled in the program while maintaining the same level of funding. The Council won’t be able to add more money until next year—and that may prove difficult, considering the city’s financial challenges…