B 26-0176 — Early Childhood Educator Pay Scales Amendment Act of 2025

ENGROSSEDENROLLED ORIGINAL A BILL 3___________________________ 26-176 5 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 8 ___________________________ To amend the Day Care Policy Act of 1979 to update the minimum salaries child development facilities must pay assistant and lead teachers beginning in January 2026 to participate in the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Program,Program and to incorporate the Early Childhood Educator Equitable Compensation Task Force and the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund into the act,act; and to make conforming amendments.

and to make conforming amendments.

“(3A-i) The term “Community-based“community-based organization” means a Head Start or early childhood education program operated by a nonprofit entity, faith-based organization, or other entity that participates in federally funded early childhood programs.”.

(2) Paragraph (4A) is amended by striking the phrase “section 5102 of the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund Establishment Act of 2021, effective November 13, 2021 ENGROSSED ORIGINAL (D.C.

“(5C-i) The term “Subsidy”“subsidy” means supplemental payments made by the Mayor pursuant to section 5a.”.

ENROLLED ORIGINAL (1) Subsection (b) is repealed.

(b)(c) Section 11b (D.C.

(1) SubsectionNew subsections (b-1) isand amended(b-2) are added to read as follows:

(A)“(b-1)(1) DesignateFrom January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025, child development facilities that enter or have entered into a contract or agreement with the existingDepartment textto asreceive paragraphmonies (1).from the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund shall use such monies to pay, at minimum, the salaries for assistant and lead teachers listed in the following tables:

ENGROSSED ORIGINAL (B) The lead-in language of the newly designated paragraph (1) is amended by striking the phrase “September 30, 2026” and inserting the phrase “December 31, 2025” in its place.

(C) A new paragraph (2) is added to read as follows:

“(2) From January 1, 2026, through September 30, 2026, child development facilities that enter or have entered into a contract or agreement with the Department to receive monies from the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund shall use such monies to pay, at minimum, the salaries for assistant and lead teachers listed in the following tables:

Assistant Teacher Minimum Salaries Credential Level Minimum Salary CDA $48,736/year$51,006/year ($23.43/hour)($24.52/hour) Associate degree or higher or 60 hours of $51,576/year$54,262/year ($24.80/hour)($26.09/hour) college-level coursework in any field Table 2:

Lead Teacher Minimum Salaries Credential Level Minimum Salary Child development center teacher or expanded $48,736/year$51,006/year ($23.43/hour)($24.52/hour) child development home caregiver with a CDA ENGROSSED ORIGINAL Child development home caregiver with a CDA $51,576/year$54,262/year ($24.80/hour)($26.09/hour) Associate in ECE;

associate with at least 12 $63,838/year ($30.69/hour) credit hours in ECE;

60 college credit hours with at least 12 credit hours in ECE Bachelor’s or higher in ECE;

or bachelor’s or $75,103/year ($36.11/hour) higher with at least 12 credit hours in ECE “(2) From January 1, 2026, through September 30, 2026, child development facilities that enter or have entered into a contract or agreement with the Department to receive monies from the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund shall use such monies to pay, at minimum, the salaries for assistant and lead teachers listed in the following tables:

Table 1:

Assistant Teacher Minimum Salaries Credential Level Minimum Salary ENROLLED ORIGINAL CDA $48,736/year ($23.43/hour) Associate degree or higher or 60 hours of $51,576/year ($24.80/hour) college-level coursework in any field Table 2:

Lead Teacher Minimum Salaries Credential Level Minimum Salary Child development center teacher or expanded $48,736/year ($23.43/hour) child development home caregiver with a CDA Child development home caregiver with a CDA $51,576/year ($24.80/hour) Associate in ECE;

or bachelor’s or $71,010/year ($34.14/hour) higher with at least 12 credit hours in ECE (3)“(b-2) SubsectionThe (c)Department isshall amendedissue asguidance follows:to assist child development facilities with aligning the minimum salary requirements in subsections (b) and (b-1) of this section with the qualifications for child development facility assistant and lead teachers it has established by regulation.”.

(2) Subsection (c) is amended as follows:

“(1)“(c)(1) Beginning February 1, 2026, and annually by February 1 thereafter, the Department shall provide a public report to the Council and to the members of the Early Childhood Educator Equitable Compensation Task Force that analyzes possible updates to the minimum salaries for assistant and lead teachers for the following fiscal year.

ENGROSSED ORIGINAL “(B) A comparison of the District’s current minimum salaries with those in surrounding jurisdictions, including educators in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classrooms, and recommendations for keeping District salaries competitive across the region;

ENROLLED ORIGINAL “(D) An assessment of the projected funding needed for the upcoming fiscal year to make full payments to all child development facilities with existing agreements with the Department to implement the ECE salary scale based on the current and recommended salaries;

and “(E) A discussion of the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Program’s impacts and outcomes, and recommendations, if any, for improving the program’s impact, funding formula, or administrative operations to enhance outcomes and cost efficacy.”.

(2)(3) Subsection (d)(1) is amended as follows:

ENGROSSED ORIGINAL (C) A new subparagraph (C) is added to read as follows:

(3)(4) A new subsection (e) is added to read as follows:

(c)(d) Section 11d (D.C.

ENGROSSED ORIGINAL “(2) In Fiscal Year 2023, $72,889,092 in local funds;

ENROLLED ORIGINAL “(c) The Fund shall be used to:

“(1) Support the implementation of the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Program.Program;

“(2) Subject to appropriations, reduce health insurance premiums paid by child development facilities, or employees of child development facilities eligible to receive the minimum salaries listed in section 11b, pursuant to an agreement with the DCDistrict of Columbia Health Benefit Exchange.Exchange;

and “(3)(A) Pay the Department administrative costs related to implementing the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Program, which may include:

ENGROSSED ORIGINAL “(B) Administrative costs authorized to be paid pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall not exceed 5% of the annual amount deposited in the Fund.

Law 4-101,4-101; D.C.

D.C.

HealthCare Alliance, referenced in Sectionsection 8(2) of the Department of Health Care Finance Establishment Act of 2007, effective February 27, 2008 (D.C.

ENGROSSED ORIGINAL “(C) Home Purchase Assistance Program, referenced in section 3a of the Home Purchase Assistance Fund Act of 1978, effective July 1, 2016 (D.C.