§ 4–410.02. Payments to child development facilities.
*NOTE: This section includes amendments by emergency legislation that will expire on January 27, 2025. To view the text of this section after the expiration of all emergency and temporary legislation affecting this section, click this link: Permanent Version.*
(a)(1) By October 1, 2024, and on a triennial basis thereafter, the Department shall establish child care subsidy payment rates for child development facilities providing care for infants, toddlers, and children ages birth to 5.
(2) Subject to available appropriations, the child care subsidy rates shall be sufficient to provide a child development facility with funding to operate based on the cost modeling analysis conducted pursuant to section § 4-410.01(b).
(b) From October 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024, child development facilities that enter or have entered into a contract or agreement with the Department to receive monies from the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund shall use such monies to pay, at minimum, the salaries for assistant and lead teachers listed in tables 1 and 2 of this subsection:
| Table 1: Assistant Teacher Minimum Salaries | |
| Credential Level | Minimum salary |
| Less than a CDA | $43,865/year |
| CDA | $51,006/year |
| Associate | $54,262/year |
| Table 2: Lead Teacher Minimum Salaries | |
| Credential Level | Minimum salary |
| CDA or 48 credit hours with greater than or equal to 15 credit hours in ECE | $54,262/year |
| Associate in ECE or Associate with greater than or equal to 24 credit hours in ECE | $63,838/year |
| Bachelor's in ECE or Bachelor's with greater than or equal to 24 credit hours in ECE | $75,103/year |
(b-1) Beginning January 1, 2025, child development facilities that enter or have entered into a contract or agreement with the Department to receive monies from the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund shall use such monies to pay, at minimum, the salaries for assistant and lead teachers listed in tables 1 and 2 of this subsection:
| Table 1: Assistant Teacher Minimum Salaries | |
| Credential Level | Minimum Salary |
| CDA | $51,006/year ($24.52/hour) |
| Associate degree or higher or 60 hours of college-level coursework in any field | $54,262/year ($26.09/hour) |
| Table 2: Lead Teacher Minimum Salaries | |
| Credential Level | Minimum Salary |
| Child development center teacher or expanded child development home caregiver with a CDA | $51,006/year ($24.52/hour) |
| Child development home caregiver with a CDA | $54,262/year ($26.09/hour) |
| Associate in ECE; associate with at least 12 credit hours in ECE; 60 college credit hours with at least 12 credit hours in ECE |
$63,838/year ($30.69/hour) |
| Bachelor's or higher in ECE; or Bachelor's with at least 12 credit hours in ECE |
$75,103/year ($36.11/hour) |
(b-2) The Department shall issue guidance to assist child development facilities with aligning the minimum salary requirements in subsections (b) and (b-1) of this section with the qualifications for child development facility assistant and lead teachers it has established by regulation.
(c)(1) Beginning February 1, 2023, and annually by February 1 thereafter, the Department shall recommend updates to Tables 1 and 2 in subsection (b-1) of this section to reflect minimum assistant teacher and lead teacher salaries for the following fiscal year.
(A) Repealed.
(B) Repealed.
(C) Repealed.
(D) Repealed.
(E) Repealed.
(F) Repealed.
(2) The Department shall aim to maintain the ongoing solvency of the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund.
(3) The Mayor shall include the updated tables in the Mayor's annual budget submission to the Council.
(d)(1) In the event that funds available in the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund are insufficient to cover the costs to implement the ECE salary scale, the Department may do any combination of the following:
(A) Reduce CDF payroll formula payments to child development facilities to align with the availability of funds and issue guidance to facilities for adjusting implementation of the ECE salary scale for the fiscal year; or
(B) Reduce the number of child development facilities receiving CDF payroll formula payments, in which case the Department shall prioritize funding to child development facilities receiving subsidy payments pursuant to section 5a.
(2) The Department shall notify the Council of reductions authorized in paragraph (1) of this subsection at least 10 business days before the Department notifies child development facilities of such reductions.
