It's Time to fully fund the Birth to Three for All Act
Mayor Bowser and the DC Council
It's imperative that we invest $30 million this year in or the Birth to Three for All Act. If the DC budget were $100, this funding would equate to one fifth of a penny-- a small price to pay for better health and developmental outcomes for the District’s children.
Those funds will expand access and advance equity for babies, families, providers and more by supporting:
Early Education: Raise Compensation for Educators ($22 million). We cannot fully realize the value of recent investments to expand the supply of high-quality child care without taking steps to make early childhood education an attractive and sustainable career option for providers, the majority of whom are women of color.
Parents & Families: Expand Home Visiting ($6 million). We need to support the health and well-being of families and their babies by investing more in home visiting. This will especially help immigrant children and families who experience homelessness.
Health & Nutrition: Improve Health Care Supports ($2 million). Mental, physical, and nutritional health supports are as important to early learning for infants and toddlers as cognitive development. Neglecting these needs among babies can end up requiring expensive interventions later on.
Let's fund the Birth to Three for All Act. It's an investment in equity and will make sure every child in the District gets off to a strong start.
Sponsored by
To:
Mayor Bowser and the DC Council
From:
[Your Name]
We need you to act now to fully fund the Birth to Three for All Act which passed unanimously last year. The first three years of a child’s life are a critical period for development -- but our city’s support for families with infants and toddlers in DC is fractured, begins too late, and is failing Black and Brown families in particular. Race, wealth, and zip code shouldn't determine which of our kids succeed, but right now they do. That’s why it’s imperative that the city invest $30 million in the Birth to Three for All Act in this coming fiscal year. Funding the act will set up children for educational and developmental success, reduce racial health disparities, and create a caring economy that works for all, including raising wages for early childhood educators. If the DC budget were $100, this funding would equate to one fifth of a penny -- a small price to pay for better health and developmental outcomes for the District’s children.