The UPDATE

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Budget Session

The DC Council announced April 6 that the release of the Mayor’s budget will be delayed until May 27 because the US Department of Treasury’s guidance on how states and territories may spend stimulus funding won’t be released until May 10. Mayor Bowser wants to take that into account when creating the DC budget. Budget hearings will be rescheduled accordingly. The DC Council will have 70 days to consider the budget after its release. 

ICYMI: Budget Priorities

 

In late May, Mayor Bowser will release her administration’s FY21 supplemental and FY22 budgets. In preparation for that announcement, DC Action has outlined our budget priorities, urging Mayor Bowser and the DC Council to focus on children and families and keep their commitment to placing racial equity at the center of their decisions.

DC Must Maximize Opportunity for Early Childhood Sector Offered by American Rescue Plan

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 offers an unprecedented opportunity to preserve the District’s current supply of child care and make investments to set up our early childhood education system to be strong, high-quality, affordable, and accessible. DC Action recommends to Mayor Bowser that all $39.8 million in relief funds should be dispersed to the early learning sector immediately and that efforts to develop a multi-year approach to supporting a strong child care system should begin immediately. Our recommendations for urgent use of these funds include:
 

1. Increase the amount and reach of relief grants for all types of child care programs 
2. Pay programs participating in the child care subsidy program based on child enrollment, rather than attendance
3. Provide wage supplements to early educators and child care staff 
4. Pay early learning programs to cover the true cost of high-quality early learning during the pandemic and beyond.

Remembering Elizabeth Davis

We mourn the passing of Washington Teachers’ Union President Liz Davis. She was an incredible champion for educators, an advocate for equity and racial justice, and a gracious mentor. We send our deepest condolences to her family and the entire WTU community. 

Out-of-School-Time Voices:

Episode #6 | Global Kids-DC
 

For some young people, growing up in Washington, DC means having a diverse array of international, cultural, artistic, and educational institutions at one’s fingertips. But as we know, opportunities to share in the District’s incredible resources are not always distributed equitably. Depending on one’s neighborhood, these opportunities can seem a world away. For more than 10 years, Global Kids-DC has successfully bridged this gap, connecting youth in DC’s under-resourced communities to the people and places they may not otherwise access, and helping them develop into leaders in their neighborhoods and the world.

#PaidLeaveforAll

DC Action joined @PaidLeaveforAll and 400+ organizations calling on Congress to pass paid leave nationally and build back better with a full-page ad in the Washington Post on March 30. We call on Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Leader McCarthy, and Leader McConnell to work with the Administration to pass #PaidLeaveForAll. We need it now and we need it permanently.

Take action at paidleaveforall.org.

COVID-19 Ripple Effects Continue to Impact District Families

As the District balances pressure to re-open more fully, address an uptick in COVID-19 cases, and ramp up vaccine distribution, it's clear that the pandemic's socioeconomic effects continue to impact children, youth, and families. DC Action Research and Data Manager Rachel Metz reported on the latest data reflecting the impact of the pandemic on District residents.

#DCStatehood

#DCStatehood is not simply about politics, it’s about equity. The District would be the only US state with a Black plurality. Watch this video of 51 for 51 Campaign Director Stasha Rhodes explaining why #DCStatehood is necessary to ensure civil rights for all Americans.
 

Share Your Opinions on the Future of Voting in DC

Join the DC Board of Elections on April 20 at 11am for a town hall meeting about voting in DC.

Read, Watch, Listen
 

Read State of D.C. Schools, the D.C. Policy Center’s yearly report on the District’s education system. 

Watch ABC’s Soul of a Nation series, which offers a glimpse into the realities of Black life in America at this pivotal time of racial reckoning. 

Listen to the final episode of the Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU, a beloved Washington institution for 23 years.