AJE is proud to be a member of the Under 3 DC Coalition and fully supports the Coalition’s request that the Council protects the viability of the child care sector with additional funding.  AJE families know that safe, affordable, and accessible child care was hard to find even before the COVID-19 response, especially for families whose children had disabilities, or who were parenting with a disability. Without additional support, we worry providers will close their doors and it will be even harder to find child care.

Maintaining stable funding for the child care subsidy does not, in the words of Ronald Jarrett, Coalition Director for Under 3 DC, “take into account the very clear and present reality of COVID-19 and what it will take to ensure and maintain safe environments for infants and toddlers. Without the assurance of safe learning environments and trusted mental health supports, parents and guardians will be unable to return to work. Therefore, safe and quality child care is essential to the District’s economy and warrants full public investment….To ensure a successful reopening where we emerge a wiser, stronger, and more thriving District, we call on the DC Council to protect the viability of the child care sector in their budget revisions and to remedy budget cuts to physical, mental, and behavioral health supports”

Read the Coalition’s full statement here.

Find out more about why child care investments are needed for the COVID-19 recovery here.