Washington (DC News Now) — Parents with children at CommuniKids DC Center were sent a letter Friday night informing them that it would be closed for one day next week in protest of Mayor Muriel Bowser's proposed early childhood education budget cuts.
Daycare centers are calling this day of protest “Day without childcare.”
“We really want to support teachers and be there for them, because the consequences of this would be dire,” said Co-Founder and Executive Director of CommuniKids Preschool. said Janine Piacenza.
This budget season, Mayor Bowser proposed cutting early childhood education by nearly $300 million in the 2025 budget. There are also proposals to cut funding to pay equity funds. The fund pays early childhood educators about the same salaries as public school teachers in Washington, D.C.
Bowser's proposed budget cuts would also impact preschool and grant programs.
“Three years later, Mayor Bowser released a budget that completely eliminated the Paycheck Equity Fund,” Piacenza said. “This is a devastating blow to programs across the city that rely on these funds to provide a living wage and decent pay for our educators, and if these funds are cut. It would be devastating for them.”
In a letter CommuniKids sent to parents, the center will be closed on Friday, May 3, and staff will be working that morning at the Freedom Plaza and Wilson Buildings to support people testifying on the final day of the budget hearing. He said they would meet at. .
“It's the entire staff, including management and the corporate office,” Piacenza said. “From admissions officers to financial treasurers. We will all meet at Freedom Plaza at 8 a.m. on May 3.”
DC News Now asked Piacenza if she was concerned about how parents would feel about not having child care for the day. She said they are concerned but there is a message being sent by the closure.
“I want the city to show us what happens when we run out of programs,” Piacenza said. “We wanted it to feel a little bit painful because that's the point.”
She said childcare centers are loved by parents because they support them.
“We wanted to give them a heads up and give them about a week's notice,” she added.
In the letter, they called on parents to attend the rally.
Piacenza said he is working with other coalitions to ask other programs to end that day or delay their start.
