In 2021, the Council of the District of Columbia (DC) established the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund, a landmark initiative aimed at achieving pay parity between early educators in DC-licensed child care programs and teachers in DC public schools. Funded through a tax on DC’s highest earners, the Pay Equity Fund marks a first-in-the-nation revenue stream dedicated to boosting early educators’ compensation. In the first phase of implementation, annual payments of $14,000 for full-time lead teachers and $10,000 for full-time assistant teachers promoted the financial well-being of a historically low-paid workforce.
In this virtual event, Urban Institute researchers will present evaluation findings documenting the benefits of pay equity for early educators, the programs where they work, and the children and families in their care.