Families who sign up for D.C.’s child care subsidy program will be wait-listed starting in two months, education officials said Friday, as the city moves to rein in ballooning costs driven by rising demand.
The program has grown significantly in recent years and now helps families of more than 7,500 children afford child care, according to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education. The number of eligible families increased by 29 percent last year, causing a spike in enrollment and a $42 million deficit, State Superintendent Antoinette Mitchell said.
The program provides subsidies to parents and guardians of children 12 or younger to pay for child care so they can work, look for jobs, go to school or attend job training. Parents of children with a disability are eligible until their children turn 19.
“We will continue to ensure that the most vulnerable children will continue to receive subsidies,” Mitchell said Friday.
Officials said Friday that families already receiving the subsidies will continue to get them as long as they remain eligible and recertify on time. Those who are eligible and apply by May 11 will also be able to enroll. After that, officials could put them on a wait list.
The city also plans to stop accepting new child care providers into the program on May 12, although those already participating will be able to open new facilities. More than 300 facilities, operated by 177 providers, participate in the program.
Last month, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) and her top deputies warned the D.C. Council that soaring costs in child care subsidy programs and health care needed to be reined in. Officials projected costs for the program will far exceed the $96 million budgeted this year — and say interest is outpacing the city’s funding.
In addition to rising demand, child care subsidies currently are more expensive at higher-quality facilities. More facilities have met the city’s highest-quality standard in recent years, further driving up costs, officials said.
Mitchell said those factors forced officials to consider major changes, including creating a wait list. Others include capping the number of families served, adjusting income eligibility limits and eliminating higher subsidy payments to providers based on quality.
“It’s really important that we make some changes because time is working against us,” Mitchell said in February.
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