In response to continued enrollment growth in the DC Child Care Subsidy program, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) will implement a waitlist for new program enrollment effective Tuesday, May 12, 2026. The waitlist policy details how families are prioritized for child care subsidies.   

Families that submit a complete application on or before May 11 may enroll in the subsidy program if they are determined eligible -- and they can then begin receiving services from their selected provider.   

Families that submit a complete application after May 12 will have their application reviewed for program eligibility -- and then if the family is deemed eligible -- be placed in a waitlist priority group for subsidized child care services .  

More information on the DC Child Care Subsidy Program is available at osse.dc.gov/subsidy.