In this brief, we explore whether and how DC families’ use of subsidized child care changes throughout the year and how child care providers perceive these changes.

Why This Matters

Families’ need for and use of child care can change throughout the year. Child care providers often rely on enrollment expectations to make decisions about staffing; when subsidized enrollment trends are unpredictable, they may find it difficult to project revenues and make staffing plans. Understanding whether patterns exist in subsidized child care enrollment can help policymakers design policies to minimize the impact of enrollment changes on providers.

What We Found

• From September 2023 to September 2024, the number of children enrolled in subsidized DC child care increased by 7 percent. These trends align with rising enrollment patterns following the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Fluctuations in subsidy enrollment corresponded with the school year calendar. Families used subsidized care most when school was not in session, during the summer months.
• Subsidized enrollment trends for preschool- and school-age children more directly aligned with the school year, while enrollment patterns for infants and toddlers were less predictable. In general, younger children enrolled in subsidized child care more consistently throughout the year.
• Providers reported that drops in subsidized enrollment led to reduced revenue from subsidy payments and difficulties maintaining staffing levels. When enrollment trends are unpredictable, providers may not be able to anticipate staffing needs.

How We Did It

Urban Institute is conducting a mixed-methods study examining the implementation and outcomes of DC’s child care subsidy policies. For this study, we performed descriptive analyses on monthly child care subsidy payment data from September 2023 to September 2024, obtained through a data sharing agreement with the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education. We supplement these data points using qualitative data from focus groups conducted with 18 child care providers participating in the child care subsidy program, conducted from February to May 2025.