Bill > B26-0433

This bill updates the Day Care Policy Act of 1979 to enhance compensation for early childhood educators in the District of Columbia by establishing new minimum salary requirements for assistant and lead teachers beginning in January 2026. The bill sets specific salary scales based on educators' credentials, with minimum annual salaries ranging from $48,736 to $71,010, depending on the teacher's educational level and certification. It continues the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund, which will receive ongoing local fund allocations between $53 million and $72 million annually through fiscal year 2026, and establishes an Early Childhood Educator Equitable Compensation Task Force to review and make recommendations about the pay equity program. The fund will support implementing the pay equity program, potentially reducing health insurance premiums for child development facility employees, and covering administrative costs. The bill also ensures that lump-sum payments from the fund will not be counted as income when determining eligibility for various District government benefit programs, and requires quarterly financial reporting on the fund's expenditures. Notably, this is an emergency act that will remain in effect for 90 days, designed to quickly address compensation challenges in the early childhood education sector.

https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B26-0433