District of Columbia
Working families in District of Columbia need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in District of Columbia. But too many working families in District of Columbia are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the District of Columbia economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
In the state, 75% of children have all available parents participating in the workforce, while the average cost of care is $26,193 a year (or $2,183 per month).
More than 850 children ages 5 and under have child care costs subsidized through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), or 7% of those eligible. The average copay with a CCDBG subsidy is $226 a month.
2.2K children receive care, learning, nutrition, and other services at no cost through Early Head Start/Head Start (or 42% of those eligible for Early Head Start and 11% of those eligible for Head Start).
And 15.2K working families have the cost of their child care offset through the Child + Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC).
However, many working parents still struggle to access affordable, quality child care, which costs the state’s economy an estimated $1.0 billion each year in lost earnings and productivity.
DC: In The Headlines
Opinion: Child Care Centers Are Small Businesses. They Form Our Village
Word in Black | january 30, 2026
Without accessible, affordable child care, D.C.’s economy fractures — and it’s not just families who suffer.
Rising child care costs. What help is out there?
Fox 5 DC | January 27, 2026
Why child care is so expensive right now — and what help actually exists for parents trying to make it work.
Federal workers struggle to cover childcare costs
WJLA | October 14, 2025
Many federal workers in the D.C. region are struggling to cover one of their biggest expenses — child care.
District of Columbia Resources & News
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