Dear Ward 5 neighbors,
Thousands of District residents are at risk as a number of potential budget cuts threaten to create a storm of crises. The Mayor has shared her intention to make significant cuts to the Child Care Subsidy, slash the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund, continue rollbacks of TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), and we anticipate it will be another year of fighting for the District Child Tax Credit.
While these are all separate programs, they are deeply interconnected. Cutting just one of them would create needless hardship for thousands of the District’s most vulnerable neighbors. Combined, these potential cuts create an unconscionable recipe for disaster.
- The Child Care Subsidy makes access to childcare possible for thousands of low-income families so they can work and have opportunities for growth. This program is an essential part of stabilizing our workforce and growing our economy, and without it, the District stands to lose the equivalent of $400 million.
- The Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund ensures equal pay for the hard work our early childhood educators do every day, and without it, we would send nearly 4,000 mostly Black and brown women back into poverty-level wages.
- TANF supports tens of thousands of families and roughly 25,000 children in the District to ensure there is money for rent, food, and basic needs that keep families safe. When we make cuts to TANF, we make it harder for neighbors to pay rent, harder for them to put food on the table, and we lose the opportunity to have those neighbors participate in our economy.
- The Child Tax Credit is a proven policy that independent research shows will cut child poverty in the District by 20% if implemented as proposed. Child poverty is not an inevitability; we can make easy choices to invest in proven strategies that lift the economic floor for everyone.
While I am clear-eyed about the financial pressures our city is facing (I’ve made seven, detailed proposals for ways to cut wasteful spending), it is also clear to me that trying to grow our economy while cutting these essential programs amounts to little more than trickle-down economics. There is another way. We can grow our economy and ensure a thriving District by stabilizing struggling families, investing in our workforce, and eliminating child poverty. The best part? We don’t have to guess! We know these programs work, we’ve seen DC become a nationwide leader because of them, and we know the return on investment is substantial.
I stood with hundreds of neighbors rallying in front of the Wilson building on Wednesday this week in support of the Child Care Subsidy and Pay Equity Fund. When the Mayor sends her budget down to the Council on April 1, I will be ready to fight for the investments that we know make a difference in everyday Washingtonians’ lives and make DC a better place to live for everyone. I invite you to stand with me and be part of the conversation by contacting leaders and testifying at upcoming budget oversight hearings.
Ward 5 Wave Podcast
This week on the Ward 5 Wave, I spoke with an advocate who helped organize Wednesday’s Day Without Childcare Rally, Maneesha Horshin from SPACEs in Action, along with long-time economic justice advocate, Ed Lazere, currently working with the United Planning Organization (UPO). We discuss the importance of the childcare subsidy, pay equity fund, TANF benefits, the District Child Tax Credit, and how each of these issues impact all Washingtonians, not just families with children. I also share my thoughts on revitalization of Ward 5 corridors like Rhode Island Ave NE and 12 St NE, and the forthcoming closure of the Hechinger Mall Safeway. Tune in wherever you listen to podcasts, or click here!
