Without sufficient public investment, child care businesses in the United States have faced financial strains that contribute to low wages and high turnover among educators, heavy cost burdens passed on to families, and overall instability and insufficient supply.
To strengthen and stabilize the early childhood workforce and address these persistent challenges, DC’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) launched a first-of-its-kind early educator compensation initiative. Funded through tax revenue, the compensation program alleviates financial strains by providing funding to participating providers to increase educator wages according to a salary scale based on role and education. Since the program’s 2022 inception, Urban Institute researchers have partnered with OSSE to examine its implementation and outcomes.
In this webinar, Urban researchers will share new evidence on how the compensation program continues to strengthen workforce retention and families’ access to higher-quality and more affordable care. Speakers will discuss key program outcomes and considerations for policymakers, practitioners, advocates, and researchers tackling the child care crisis in DC and communities nationwide.Â
