2023-25 Strategic Plan Updates | Nov. 30, 2023

The District of Columbia is a national leader in early childhood education, and under the leadership of Mayor Bowser, we are hyper-focused on strengthening the District’s more than 460 early childhood development facilities and further growing the supply of high-quality early care and education options. The Start Early priority of OSSE's 2023-25 strategic plan aims to ensure early learners have access to vibrant and quality early learning environments and are prepared for their K-12 education. We have prioritized building and supporting a robust child care ecosystem because we know that early childhood education is critical for children’s development, for families’ livelihoods and for the District’s entire economy. 

With OSSE licensing oversight and increased investments in early childhood educators, increasing the supply of quality slots and sustaining child care providers through the pandemic and recovery, families can find the care they need and feel assured that any licensed facility they choose will provide their child healthy, safe and nurturing care and early learning experiences. 

Getting a high-quality education early in life is incredibly important for all children, and particularly those furthest from opportunity; this is why we are investing in supports for our youngest learners. Through Mayor Bowser’s Access to Quality program, we’ve invested nearly $20 million to help early childhood programs create high-quality learning environments.   

Well-prepared and supported early childhood educators are essential for quality learning programs that support children’s learning, and the District has made significant investments to elevate the early learning workforce and make the District the best place in the country to be an early educator. In addition, this year the District invested federal and local funds to expand eligibility for child care subsidies to more families and to increase the rates paid to providers who serve children receiving subsidy — encouraging more programs to accept subsidies and enabling them to deliver quality programs.   

OSSE has invested nearly $90 million in federal stimulus funds to strengthen and sustain early childhood education in the District during the pandemic and through recovery, and we are committed to continuing to lead the nation in cultivating a diverse, high-quality early learning system for all District families. Read on to learn more about our investments to support DC’s littlest learners. 

In service,   
Dr. Christina Grant   

• In November 2023, OSSE received a $2.4 million grant from the Early Educator Investment Collaborative (The Collaborative) to support innovations to increase the professional credentials, wages and benefits of the DC early childhood education workforce. The District was selected for its development and implementation of inventive, comprehensive and equitable solutions that support early childhood educators to advance as professionals and provide high-quality learning experiences for young children. 
• In FY23, OSSE distributed nearly $42 million in Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Funds (quarterly payments of $2,500 to $3,500) to over 4,000 educators, and put in place policies, systems and infrastructure for the next phase of the program, in which child development facilities will receive funding from OSSE to sustainably increase staff pay.   
• Through an innovative partnership with DC Health Benefits Exchange Authority, OSSE subsidizes health insurance premiums for child care employers who provide coverage for their staff, as well as DC residents working in child care, enabling child care workers to get health coverage at no cost to themselves. As of October 2023, 169 facilities are participating in HealthCare4Childcare to provide coverage to their employees, and nearly 1200 lives are covered — over 40 percent of whom did not previously have health insurance.