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.

Speakers 

• Justin B. Doromal, Senior Research Associate, Urban Institute 
• Erica Greenberg, Senior Fellow and Coprincipal Investigator, District of Columbia Child Care Policy Research Partnership, Urban Institute 
• Laura Jimenez Parra, Research Associate, Urban Institute 
• Kathryn Kigera, Director of Quality Initiatives, Division of Early Learning, DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education 
• Eve Mefferd, Research Associate, Urban Institute 
• Elli Nikolopoulos, Research Associate, Urban Institute 
• Heather Sandstrom, Senior Fellow and Principal Investigator, District of Columbia Child Care Policy Research Partnership, Urban Institute

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. Please email [email protected] if you require any accommodations or have any questions about this event. 

Support for this event is provided by the Administration for Children and Families, US Department of Health and Human Services, as part of financial assistance award Grant #90YE0284 totaling $1.6 million. For more on Urban’s funding policies, go to urban.org/about/organizational-principles. The content and views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ACF/HHS or the US government. The views should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders. Please visit the ACF website, Administrative and National Policy Requirements (acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements#chapter-8), for more information.