Contact
For press inquiries, contact Director of Public Affairs Adam Barragan-Smith at abarragansmith@educaredc.org or (202) 246-9415.
Updates and Announcements
2025
October 22 – D.C. is cutting pay raises for childcare workers to meet budget pressures. No one seems happy about it. – WAMU article featuring Lead Teacher Sharnetta Meyers and Director of Public Affairs Adam Barragan-Smith on the Pay Equity Fund
October 21 – The Issues That Never Seem to Go Away – The Washington Informer, Ward 7 Councilmember Wendell Felder shouts out recent visit to Educare DC in remarks about the importance of the Pay Equity Fund
October 20 – Fears over health cuts from government shutdown, child caregiver pay in DC – WAMU radio story and article featuring Educare DC Lead Teacher Sharnetta Meyers on the Pay Equity Fund
July 31 – District Head Start providers facing flat funding – DC News Now article featuring Director of Public Affairs, Adam Barragan-Smith
July 31 – Uncertainty lies ahead for the Head Start Program – Sunrise on the Hill Morning Show, featuring Director of Public Affairs, Adam Barragan-Smith
July 30 – Early Head Start Providers, Parents and Experts Urge Congress to Prioritize Babies’ Development During Appropriations – ZERO TO THREE, featuring former Educare DC Parent and Board Member, Angel Elliot
July 17 – DC budget passes first council vote, restoring $100 million to city programs – Street Sense Media, featuring Parent Ambassador Charlee Vinson
July 15 – DC Council votes to keep two voter-approved initiatives during first budget vote – WUSA 9 TV segment featuring Parent Ambassador, Charlee Vinson
July 1 – A program that provides pay boosts to D.C. childcare workers faces an uncertain future – WAMU radio story and article featuring Educare DC President and CEO Jamal Berry, Director of Public Affairs Adam Barragan-Smith, and Lead Teacher Zharray Johnson
May 16 – ‘We need the funding to be able to do the work’: DC early childcare providers, advocates push for fully funded pay equity for teachers – DC News Now, featuring President and CEO Jamal Berry
May 2 – Head Start spared from Trump’s proposed spending cuts – Hearst TV, featuring President and CEO Jamal Berry and Parent Ambassador Charlee Vinson
2024
December 13 – How D.C. tackled a child care crunch through a tax hike on the rich – NPR article featuring Educare DC Assistant Teacher, Boniece Gillis.
October 28 – Increasing child care teacher pay doesn’t have to mean charging parents more – Vox article featuring Educare DC Lead Teacher, Jacqueline Strickland
October 16 – DC Council voting on new pay scale for early childhood educators – WUSA9 article featuring Educare DC Lead Teacher, Jacqueline Strickland
September 12 – In DC and Louisiana, Advocates Work to Avoid Damaging Funding Cuts – New America article featuring Educare DC Advocacy Manager, Adam Barragan-Smith
May 29 – D.C. experimented with giving child care workers big raises. The project may not last – The Hechinger Report
May 22 – Cities and towns provide kindergarten. They soon might fund child-care services for toddlers and infants, too – MarketWatch
April 8 – Early-childhood teachers protest possible salary cuts in D.C. Budget – The Washington Post article featuring Educare DC Lead Teacher, Jacqueline Strickland
April 8 – Early childhood education advocates rally against DC mayor’s budget cuts – DC News Now video featuring Educare DC President & CEO, Jamal Berry
April 4 – Bowser’s 2025 Budget Wipes Out Pay Raises for Child Care Workers. She Blames the CFO – Washington City Paper article featuring Educare DC Advocacy Manager, Adam Barragan-Smith
March 28 – Advocates Worry D.C. Early – Childhood Pay Equity Fund Could Face Budget Cuts – The Washington Post article featuring Educare DC Lead Teacher, Jacqueline Strickland
March 11 – Female Logger. Male Dental Hygienist. Meet the Labor Force’s Unicorns – The Wall Street Journal article featuring Educare DC Assistant Teacher, Casi York
February 7 – We Americans Neglect Our Children – The New York Times Nicholas Kristof opinion column which mentions Educare
February – Our Health Matters February 2024 Mentor Me – February 2024 edition of Our Health Matters digital magazine
January 10 – Food Assistance for Mothers and Children Faces Funding Shortfall – The New York Times article featuring Educare DC Parent Ambassador, Ebony Jeje
2023
May 30 – Jamal Berry: Shortsighted budget cuts jeopardize progress of early childhood’s workforce
February 15 – Educare DC’s New CEO Shares His Vision
2022
August 18 – Educare DC’s CEO Transition
2020
June 30 – Educare DC Announces Five-Year Federal Grant Award From Head Start
June 4 – Educare DC’s statement in the wake of the murder of George Floyd
2019
June 12 – CCDBG Is Creating New Opportunities for Working Families – First Five Years Fund
May 7 – Why is Childcare so Expensive? – WAMU’s What’s with Washington podcast featuring Educare DC parents
April 12 – Educare DC Awarded Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership grant
2018
November 19 – WHUT Congratulates Mr Jamal Berry of EDUCARE! – WHUT
September 12 – Thrive By Five: The Importance of Social, Emotional Growth for Babies – Mayor Muriel Bowser Facebook Live
March 13 – Jennifer Garner visits a D.C. school, speaks with Senate panel – The Washington Post
2017
May 4 – Strolling Thunder: Rally for babies in Washington, DC– PBS To The Contrary
2016
November 17 – Treasury announces $7 billion for program that supports low-income areas – Washington Post
October 20 – Together we thrive: A better future for all women and girls – Huffington Post
August 31 – Educare DC Announces Education Savings Account Program
July 6 – Educare DC earns national NAEYC accreditation
May 25 – NAEYC announces a new national collaboration to set professional guidelines for all early childhood educators – NAEYC
February 26 – Igniting the spark: The love of learning – Homeroom
February 4 – Mayor Bowser kicks off ‘Books from Birth’ program to improve educational outcomes for children – Office of the Mayor
2014
October 29 – Letter: The next mayor should invest in early childhood education – Washington Post
June 4 – Kenilworth-Parkside Residents See Brighter Future – Washington Informer
Publications
Dewana Knight, Compliance Manager
Cynthia Johnson, Human Resources Manager
Kiyana Morgan, Professional Development Manager
Jannice Wright, Professional Development Manager
Torrian Brent, Comprehensive Services Manager
Enrique Viejon, Comprehensive Services Manager
Darrell Begemann, Development Manager
Nashandra Ellis, Mentor Teacher
Ledell Funches, Mentor Teacher
Meagan Jones, Education Mentor
Bernadette Morris, Mentor Teacher
Morgan Ruffin, Mentor Teacher
Kelly Tisdale Sloan, Education Mentor
Natalie Vanderbilt, Mentor Teacher
Tiara Williams, Education Mentor
Dawn Wilson, Education Mentor
Alisha Barnes, Family Engagement Manager
Tamisa Brooks, Family Engagement Manager
Linwood Cole, Family Engagement Manager
Barrington Tolliver, Family Engagement Manager
Nikia Pickett, Finance Manager
Updates and Announcements
2025
July 31 – Uncertainty lies ahead for the Head Start Program – The Hill DC News Now, “Sunrise on the Hill” Morning Show, featuring Director of Public Affairs, Adam Barragan-Smith
July 15 – DC Council votes to keep two voter-approved initiatives during first budget vote – WUSA 9 TV segment featuring Parent Ambassador, Charlee Vinson
July 1 – A program that provides pay boosts to D.C. childcare workers faces an uncertain future – WAMU 88.5 American University Radio article featuring Educare DC President and CEO Jamal Berry, Advocacy Manager Adam Barragan-Smith, and Lead Teacher Zharray Johnson
May 16 – ‘We need the funding to be able to do the work’: DC early childcare providers, advocates push for fully funded pay equity for teachers – DC News Now
May 2 – Head Start spared from Trump’s proposed spending cuts – Hearst TV
2024
December 13 – How D.C. tackled a child care crunch through a tax hike on the rich – NPR article featuring Educare DC Assistant Teacher, Boniece Gillis.
October 28 – Increasing child care teacher pay doesn’t have to mean charging parents more – Vox article featuring Educare DC Lead Teacher, Jacqueline Strickland
October 16 – DC Council voting on new pay scale for early childhood educators – WUSA9 article featuring Educare DC Lead Teacher, Jacqueline Strickland
September 12 – In DC and Louisiana, Advocates Work to Avoid Damaging Funding Cuts – New America article featuring Educare DC Advocacy Manager, Adam Barragan-Smith
May 29 – D.C. experimented with giving child care workers big raises. The project may not last – The Hechinger Report
May 22 – Cities and towns provide kindergarten. They soon might fund child-care services for toddlers and infants, too – MarketWatch
April 8 – Early-childhood teachers protest possible salary cuts in D.C. Budget – The Washington Post article featuring Educare DC Lead Teacher, Jacqueline Strickland
April 8 – Early childhood education advocates rally against DC mayor’s budget cuts – DC News Now video featuring Educare DC President & CEO, Jamal Berry
April 4 – Bowser’s 2025 Budget Wipes Out Pay Raises for Child Care Workers. She Blames the CFO – Washington City Paper article featuring Educare DC Advocacy Manager, Adam Barragan-Smith
March 28 – Advocates Worry D.C. Early – Childhood Pay Equity Fund Could Face Budget Cuts – The Washington Post article featuring Educare DC Lead Teacher, Jacqueline Strickland
March 11 – Female Logger. Male Dental Hygienist. Meet the Labor Force’s Unicorns – The Wall Street Journal article featuring Educare DC Assistant Teacher, Casi York
February 7 – We Americans Neglect Our Children – The New York Times Nicholas Kristof opinion column which mentions Educare
February – Our Health Matters February 2024 Mentor Me – February 2024 edition of Our Health Matters digital magazine
January 10 – Food Assistance for Mothers and Children Faces Funding Shortfall – The New York Times article featuring Educare DC Parent Ambassador, Ebony Jeje
2023
May 30 – Jamal Berry: Shortsighted budget cuts jeopardize progress of early childhood’s workforce
February 15 – Educare DC’s New CEO Shares His Vision
2022
August 18 – Educare DC’s CEO Transition
2020
June 30 – Educare DC Announces Five-Year Federal Grant Award From Head Start
June 4 – Educare DC’s statement in the wake of the murder of George Floyd
2019
June 12 – CCDBG Is Creating New Opportunities for Working Families – First Five Years Fund
May 7 – Why is Childcare so Expensive? – WAMU’s What’s with Washington podcast featuring Educare DC parents
April 12 – Educare DC Awarded Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership grant
2018
November 19 – WHUT Congratulates Mr Jamal Berry of EDUCARE! – WHUT
September 12 – Thrive By Five: The Importance of Social, Emotional Growth for Babies – Mayor Muriel Bowser Facebook Live
March 13 – Jennifer Garner visits a D.C. school, speaks with Senate panel – The Washington Post
2017
May 4 – Strolling Thunder: Rally for babies in Washington, DC– PBS To The Contrary
2016
November 17 – Treasury announces $7 billion for program that supports low-income areas – Washington Post
October 20 – Together we thrive: A better future for all women and girls – Huffington Post
August 31 – Educare DC Announces Education Savings Account Program
July 6 – Educare DC earns national NAEYC accreditation
May 25 – NAEYC announces a new national collaboration to set professional guidelines for all early childhood educators – NAEYC
February 26 – Igniting the spark: The love of learning – Homeroom
February 4 – Mayor Bowser kicks off ‘Books from Birth’ program to improve educational outcomes for children – Office of the Mayor
2014
October 29 – Letter: The next mayor should invest in early childhood education – Washington Post
June 4 – Kenilworth-Parkside Residents See Brighter Future – Washington Informer