The budget proposal includes massive, multi-year cuts to child care subsidies for families and permanently eliminates the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund and HealthCare4ChildCare. So far, the fund has delivered close to $80 million in payments to roughly 4,000 early childhood educators, though they have yet to achieve pay parity with K -12 educators. Early care and education advocates, educators, parents, and business leaders spoke out last Thursday at a D.C. Council education hearing, making strong arguments for supporting early educators, children, and families.