Greetings—

This week, the Council of the District of Columbia (DC Council) released its 2025 budget proposal. The budget, which cites evidence from the Urban Institute, contains a proposal to partially fund the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund, with a gap in funding of approximately $17 million. In 2022, the District of Columbia became the first jurisdiction in the nation to supplement the wages of early childhood educators with dedicated public funding.

To better understand early educators’ experiences with the Pay Equity Fund in its initial year of implementation, Urban researchers analyzed both survey data and focus group responses in a new analysis. They found:

Clear information from a trusted source, including employers, coworkers, and Office of the State Superintendent of Education outreach, was important for awareness, understanding, and uptake of direct payments from the Fund.
Perceived benefits of the direct payments include financial well-being, stress reduction and improved mental health, improvements in job satisfaction, and enhanced professional growth.
Many survey respondents expressed that they were paid what they deserve because of the Pay Equity Fund, but not everyone believed the payments were enough. And some questioned the fairness of the eligibility criteria, with center directors and coworkers in non-eligible roles being left out.
Sixty percent of survey respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they intend to stay in their current job longer because of the Fund.

“Despite successful implementation, innovation can be vulnerable without stable funding. As the Pay Equity Fund continues, our work documenting the challenges and successes of fund implementation will continue, too,” the researchers write.

Read the report, op-ed, and a recent statement before the DC Council to learn more about the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund.

If you have questions or would like to speak with the research team, please email me.