The Child Care for All Campaign works to bring together residents affected by the lack of quality, affordable, and accessible child care.
Empower DC launched the Child Care for All Campaign in 2003 to bring together residents who were directly impacted by the lack of quality, affordable and accessible child care in DC for low and moderate income working families to advocate for full funding for the Child Care Subsidy Program and other needed improvements.
Since that time, the campaign has engaged hundreds of parents in self-advocacy to make access to quality, affordable child care a high-priority issue amongst DC decision makers, and to win full funding for the Child Care Subsidy Program which provides free or reduced cost child care to low income working families based on income and family size. (link 1: more about the child care subsidy program)
The campaign’s primary goal was to win full funding for the subsidy program, which at the time was not being prioritized by District officials. In June 2002, the city instituted a freeze in the program, and from that time forward working parents were placed on a waiting list. By 2004 the waiting list had grown to over 1,600 families.
The Child Care for All Campaign, in partnership with child care providers and advocates throughout the city (see links) mobilized concerned parents and other residents in a relentless campaign that included:
- community outreach and education – at community events, child care centers
- letter writing
- testifying at City Council hearings
- visits to City Council offices
- Sign-on Letters and Petitions
- Demonstrations, including a (date) action where a group of 6th graders from the Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School took over the Mayor’s weekly press briefing along with campaign members
The campaign convinced Councilmember Adrian Fenty, newly the Chair of the Committee on Human Services, to hold a special Saturday hearing on child care. That day, while volunteers care for children in the Councilman’s office, Fenty heard 6 hours of testimony from parents who made one thing very clear: without quality child care, parents and families can not achieve their goals.
The outcome of months of campaign activities was a significantly increased awareness about the critical need for child care, and the political will that followed to achieve an unprecedented $21.5 million increase in local funding for FY 2006 – thereby ending the waiting list for child care vouchers!
The waiting list is lifted, but the program is not yet fully funded and campaign members have identified numerous areas where improvements are needed including:
- Better service when trying to get a voucher – timely returned calls and appointments, clear and useful information
- After-work or Saturday intake hours for vouchers
- Better and more training for providers, especially for the care of special needs children
We welcome your participation in the continued movement for quality, affordable and accessible child care for all!
The Child Care Subsidy Program is administered by DC's Early Care and Education Administration (formerly the Office of Early Childhood Development).