Washington, DC · ACS 2020–2024 · OSSE 2023–24
The State of Early Childhood
SCF was founded on the belief that children thrive when the adults who teach and care for them are supported, prepared, and valued. This dashboard tracks the early childhood indicators that define that challenge across all eight DC wards, with a focused lens on Wards 7 and 8, where Southeast Children's Fund concentrates its investment in educators, providers, and families.
36%
Child poverty in Wards 7 & 8 vs. 12% citywide
Child poverty · ACS 2020–2024
What this means $92K
Median income gap: Ward 8's $53K vs. Ward 3's $145K
Income disparity · ACS 2020–2024
What this means 54%
3rd-grade reading proficiency in Wards 7&8 vs. 71% citywide
PARCC/MSAA · OSSE 2022–23
What this means 47
Licensed care slots per 100 children in Wards 7&8
Child care access · OSSE/Urban 2023–24
What this means
Scroll for Interactive Map
Interactive Map
DC's 8 Wards, Hover to Explore
Each ward tells a different story about access, investment, and opportunity. Hover any ward to preview key indicators, or click to explore child poverty, care access, reading proficiency, and the community demographics that shape SCF's investment strategy east of the Anacostia River.
Ward 7
31%
Child Poverty Rate
vs 12% citywide
6,828
Children Under 5
East of River
36
Care Slots per 100 Children
care desert
Washington DC 8 Wards
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This map provides a robust snapshot of the state of early childhood education across Washington, DC, hover or click any ward to explore key indicators, demographic data, and community context.
Ward 8
41%
Child Poverty Rate
highest in DC
6,870
Children Under 5
largest in DC
$53K
Median Household Income
vs $145K Ward 3
Scroll for Key Disparities
Key Disparities
Where the Gaps Are Widest
Persistent early childhood disparities across DC, concentrated east of the Anacostia River in Wards 7 & 8.
Child Poverty Rate by Ward
% of children under 18 below federal poverty line · ACS 2020–2024
Context & Implications
Licensed Child Care Slots per 100 Children
OSSE licensed capacity relative to children under 5 · Urban Inst. 2023–24
Context & Implications
3rd-Grade Reading Proficiency
% meeting or exceeding grade-level standards · OSSE 2022–23
Context & Implications
Median Household Income
ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates, all households
Context & Implications
Scroll for Ward Comparison
Ward Comparison
All 8 Wards, Side by Side
Key early childhood indicators across every ward. SCF service areas highlighted.
Ward Council Member Population Children Under 5 Child Poverty Median HH Income Reading Prof. Care Slots/100
Ward 1 Brianne Nadeau ~82,000 ~4,900 24% $133K 72% 54 Ward 2 Brooke Pinto ~79,000 ~2,400 8% $133K 79% 162 Ward 3 Matt Frumin ~80,000 ~3,600 4% $145K 84% 97 Ward 4 Janeese Lewis George ~81,000 ~6,000 10% $128K 62% 63 Ward 5 Zachary Parker ~77,000 ~5,800 16% $103K 59% 45 Ward 6 Charles Allen ~82,000 ~4,600 18% $138K 68% 67 Ward 7 Wendell Felder ~76,000 ~6,800 31% $71K 48% 36 Ward 8 Trayon White Sr. ~83,000 ~6,900 41% $53K 41% 58
Scroll for Ward 7 & 8 in Focus
SCF Service Areas
Ward 7 & Ward 8, In Focus
The two wards east of the Anacostia River where SCF concentrates its early childhood programming and provider support.
Ward 7 · East of the River
6,828
Children under age 5 in SCF's service area
Deanwood, Capitol Heights, Benning Heights, River Terrace
Council Member: Vince Gray
31% child poverty rate, nearly 8× Ward 3's rate
Only 36 licensed care slots per 100 children under 5
SCF delivers early childhood education, provider scholarships & family navigation
Ward 8 · Congress Heights & Beyond
6,870
Children under age 5, DC's largest concentration
Congress Heights, Anacostia, Bellevue, Shipley Terrace
Council Member: Trayon White
41% child poverty rate, highest in DC
Median household income of $53K vs. $145K in Ward 3
SCF supports providers, funds professional development & connects families to early learning
Scroll for Data Sources
Data Sources
Sources & Methodology
All figures drawn from publicly available government and research datasets. Ward-level data uses most recent available estimates.
01 DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)
osse.dc.gov/service/child-care-licensing
Licensed child care capacity by ward, early learning enrollment, and 3rd-grade proficiency data. 2022–23.
02 U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS)
census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
Child poverty rates, median household income, and population estimates by DC ward. 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
03 DC School Report Card
schoolreportcard.dc.gov
3rd-grade reading proficiency (PARCC/MSAA) by school and ward. Published by OSSE for the 2022–23 academic year.
04 DC Council, Ward Representatives
dccouncil.gov/council-members
Current council member assignments by ward.
05 DC Open Data Portal, Ward Boundaries
opendata.dc.gov
Official 2022 ward boundary shapefiles from the DC Office of Planning, used for geographic rendering.
06 Urban Institute, Children and Youth Research
urban.org — Child Care Subsidy Program Participation across DC's Eight Wards
Child care subsidy program participation by ward; licensed capacity and facility data for FY2023–2024. Published October 2025.
