Care in the Capitol

The District’s new rules for childcare workers are going to keep hundreds of hard-working and qualified people from earning an honest living.

In December 2016, the D.C. Office of the Superintendent of Education (OSSE) enacted several burdensome education requirements for childcare workers. According to these regulations, all District childcare center directors must earn a bachelor’s degree by December 2022 and all lead teachers must earn an associate’s degree by December 2020 before they are deemed qualified to work in childcare.

For childcare workers across the city, many of whom will be forced to leave their jobs after years of experience working with children, these new rules are disastrous. Not to mention the immense cost of going back to school, something which many childcare workers cannot afford to do.

By imposing unnecessary education requirements, D.C. government officials will create a shortage of good workers to care for children—all while artificially driving up the cost of quality childcare throughout the District.

To protect District childcare professionals, IJ’s activism team worked to organize and mobilize daycare providers across the city, canvassing businesses to inform them of the new OSSE requirements. In July 2017, we hosted a training to teach childcare workers how to become grassroots activists and advocates for their cause.

In April 2018, IJ filed a lawsuit to challenge the education requirements in federal court. As the suit moves forward, we intend to continue to support childcare workers who simply wish to provide for their families doing what they love.

Live in DC? Sign our petition and share it with your friends and family!

Support DC Childcare Workers and Families!

DC's new education requirements for childcare workers will keep hundreds of hard-working and qualified people from earning an honest living. Tell OSSE to change its new rules and allow childcare workers to do what they do best- care for DC's children! Contact Meaghan O'Connor at [email protected] for more information.

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