Councilmember Gray’s Birth to Three Bill Passes Unanimously

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 28, 2018

Contact: Takiyah “T.N.” Tate

BIRTH TO THREE FOR ALL DC PASSES UNANIMOUSLY!

Washington D.C. – On Tuesday, June 26, 2018, at its 24^th legislative meeting, the Council of the District of Columbia took a major step towards guaranteeing a brighter future for the very youngest residents of this city.

Following months of work by Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent C. Gray, in concert with the Birth to Three Alliance, which consists of organizations devoted to early childhood education, the Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to enact the “Birth to Three for All DC Act.”

Councilmember Gray said, “I want to give an enormous thank you to the Birth to Three Alliance, who were there in the Council chamber with us yesterday.  The Alliance helped us shape this bill every step of the way.  Their passion and advocacy for our youngest children in the District made passage of this bill a possibility.”

“Birth to Three” continues to build on the extraordinary commitment the city has made to the growth and development of very young children.  As a result of legislation championed by Gray a decade ago, the city now is in the unprecedented situation of providing public education to every one of our three and four-year-olds. “If we can get our young children into safe, educational and nurturing environments from birth, we substantially increase the chances of positive educational outcomes later in life. Also, reliable and affordable childcare is a critical component of a comprehensive strategy towards reducing barriers to employment, particularly for single parents,” said Gray.  In this regard, “Birth to Three” creates upward mobility for families eventually ensuring that families would have to pay no more than 10% of their household income on child care expenses.

“This legislation approved by the Council will make the District of Columbia the unquestioned leader in the nation, and indeed the world, in making high quality early learning services available to all children and their families in the city,” said Gray.

Full implementation of the bill will take a few years, but that is not unusual for something of this magnitude.  To ensure that we get underway quickly, the Council included funding in the budget for next year to support expanding home visiting services and the Help Me Grow program which helps infants and toddlers in their earlier stages of development.

Over time, this legislation will support salary increases for early childhood education workers who historically have been some of the lowest paid people serving young children.

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