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Today, the DC State Board of Education and DC Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray released the report Infants and Toddlers in the District of Columbia: A Needs Assessment. The report emphasizes why a focus on children from birth to age three must be included in the continuum of learning, alongside pre-K through grade 12 and post-secondary education. The report also examines the current status of programs that serve children, under the age of four, in the District of Columbia. 

“Research continues to show that the achievement gap starts early in life and can be difficult to reverse. Our report highlights why it is important to ensure that children–from birth to age three–be included in the continuum of learning to help improve the odds for healthy early childhood development,” said DC State Board of Education president Robert C. Bobb.

DC Council Chairman Vincent Gray said, “This report further emphasizes the point that the District of Columbia is on the right track in opening the door for more children to benefit from early childhood education prior to kindergarten. In collaboration with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and the State Board of Education, the Council will do all it can to help create and promote wider opportunities for quality learning experiences for youngsters birth to three years.”

The report, commissioned by the DC State Board of Education, covers the period of birth to age three and explains the importance of addressing the needs of infants and toddlers through quality early care and education programs in the District. The report also looks at how poverty, little or no access to quality services or childcare and affordability impact the care of infants and toddlers during this most vulnerable time in a child’s development.

The report highlights the following:

• In the District of Columbia, 6,453 children under the age of four are on child care waiting lists
• The supply of quality infant toddler care is particularly acute in low-income communities
• The percentage of nationally accredited facilities in the District of Columbia is improving, yet the  salaries of caregivers remains low at an average of $22,805 annually

In the report the State Board of Education offers the following recommendations to improve the needs of infants and toddlers:

• Develop a coordinated, citywide strategy for providing services to children from birth to age three
• Analyze and maximize contributions from the potential funding sources
• Implement standards, accountability measures, and stronger credentialing and professional development
• Advocate for programs for children from birth to age three and include all relevant stakeholders in the process
  

The State Board of Education will host an early childhood roundtable with national experts in January.