Where children are born can affecttheir chances for a strong start in life.Babies need Good Health, StrongFamilies, and Positive Early LearningExperiences to foster their healthybrain development and help themrealize their full potential.

This state profile provides a snapshot of how infants,toddlers, and their families are faring in each of these threepolicy domains. Within each domain, view data forselected child, family, and policy indicators compared tonational averages. The profile begins with a demographicdescription of the state's babies and families to offer thebroadest context for exploring what may be very differentexperiences of the state's youngest children.

Getting Started

Reaching Forward

Improving Outcomes

Working Effectively

KEY

D.C.’s Rankings

Overview

District of Columbia is home to 28,420 babies,representing 4 percent of the state’s population. As manyas 30.9 percent live in households with incomes less thantwice the federal poverty line (in 2018, about $50,000 ayear for a family of four), placing them at economicdisadvantage. America's youngest children are diverse andare raised in a variety of family contexts. In District ofColumbia, 67.4 percent of babies are children of color andless than 1 percent of the state's infants and toddlers live inrural areas. A broad array of policies and services arerequired to ensure all of them have an equitable start inlife.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA NATIONAL AVERAGE

Non-Hispanic Black41.7%

13.7%

Non-Hispanic White32.6%

49.3%

Hispanic17.2%

26.2%

Non-Hispanic Other5.2%5.9%

Non-Hispanic Asian3.4%4.9%

American Indian/Alaska Native0.2%0.8%

Mothers in the Labor Force78.9%

61.6%

Above Low-Income69.1%

57.9%

In Poverty20.2%19.8%

Low-Income10.7%

22.3%

Non-Hispanic Black44.5%

37.0%

Non-Hispanic WhiteN/A

12.3%

Non-Hispanic OtherN/A

16.9%

HispanicN/A

27.2%

2-Parent Family69.8%

76.7%

1-Parent Family27.1%

20.9%

No Parents Present3.1%2.4%

9.8%8.5%

Living Outside of a Metro Area0.0%

8.6%

The State of D.C.’s Babies

Overall

Working Effectively

Good Health

Improving Outcomes

Strong Families

Working Effectively

Positive Early LearningExperiences

Improving Outcomes

DemographicsInfants and toddlers in District of Columbia

Race/ethnicity of infantsand toddlers

Working moms

Poverty status of infantsand toddlers

Infants and toddlers inpoverty, by race

Family structure

Grandparent-headedhouseholds

Rural/Non-metro area

State of Babies Yearbook: 2020  |  stateofbabies.org  |  1

What is Good Health?

Good physical and mental health provide the foundationfor babies to develop physically, cognitively, emotionally,and socially. The rate of brain growth is faster in the first 3years than at any later stage of life, and this growth setsthe stage for subsequent development. Access to goodnutrition and affordable maternal, pediatric, and familyhealth care is essential to ensure that babies receive thenourishment and care they need for a strong start in life.

The District of Columbia falls in the Improving Outcomes(O) tier for the Good Health domain. A state's ranking isbased on indicators of maternal and child health, includinghealth care coverage, prenatal care, birth outcomes, andreceipt of recommended preventive care as well as foodsecurity, nutrition, and mental health. District of Columbiaperforms better than national averages on key indicators,such as the percentages of uninsured babies in familieswith low income and babies receiving preventive medicalcare. The District is performing worse than nationalaverages on indicators such as a higher infant mortalityrate and the percentage of babies born at low birthweight.District of Columbia has implemented Medicaid expansion.The Medicaid program covers 2 of 5 screenings andservices that support socioemotional well-being andmaternal and infant and early childhood mental health(IECMH).

KEY ⟵ Range of all state values ⟶ District of Columbia National average

Getting Started Reaching Forward Improving Outcomes Working Effectively

Yes Medicaid expansion state

RecommendedState Medicaid policy for maternal depression screening in well-child visits

Yes Medicaid plan covers social-emotional screening for young children

No Medicaid plan covers IECMH services at home

No Medicaid plan covers IECMH services at pediatric/family medicine practices

No Medicaid plan covers IECMH services in early childhood education settings

Six Key Indicators of Good Health

Good Health Policy in District of Columbia

What Defines Strong Families?

Young children develop in the context of their families,where stability, safety, and supportive relationships nurturetheir growth. All families benefit from parenting supports,and many—particularly those challenged by economicinstability—require access to additional resources that helpthem meet their children’s daily and developmental needs.Key supports include safe and stable housing, homevisiting services, family-friendly employer policies,economic support for families with low income, and taxcredits that benefit families with young children.

District of Columbia falls in the Working Effectively (W) tierof states when it comes to indicators of Strong Families.The state's ranking in this domain reflects indicators onwhich it is performing better than the national average,such as the percentages of families in poverty with babiesreceiving TANF and babies who have had two or moreadverse experiences. District of Columbia is doing worsethan the national average on indicators such as thepercentages of babies living in crowded housing andparents who report living in unsafe neighborhoods. Policy-wise, the state has implemented 4 of 5 policies thatpromote strong families, such as paid sick and familyleave, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)options, the Child Tax Credit, and Earned Income TaxCredit.

KEY ⟵ Range of all state values ⟶ District of Columbia National average

Getting Started Reaching Forward Improving Outcomes Working Effectively

Yes Paid family leave

Yes Paid sick time that covers care for child

Yes TANF Work Exemption

No State Child Tax Credit

Yes State Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

Six Key Indicators of Strong Families

Strong Families Policy in District of Columbia

Good HealthIn District of Columbia

Infant mortality rate (deathsper 1,000 live births)

Min: 3.7 Max: 8.6

7.8

Uninsured low-incomeinfants/toddlers

Min: 0.6% Max: 15.5%

0.8%

Late or no prenatal carereceived

Min: 1.7% Max: 11.3%

7.6%

Preterm births

Min: 7.8% Max: 14.2%

10.1%

Babies with low birthweight

Min: 5.9% Max: 12.1%

10.0%

Ever breastfed

Min: 60.5% Max: 92.4%

81.1%

Strong FamiliesIn District of Columbia

Family resilience

Min: 77.1% Max: 91.8%

86.1%

TANF benefits receipt amongfamilies in poverty

Min: 2.7% Max: 88.2%

88.2%

Crowded housing

Min: 5.6% Max: 28.4%

19.2%

Infant/toddler maltreatmentrate (per 1,000infants/toddlers)*

Min: 2.0 Max: 38.3

13.7

Time in out-of-homeplacement*

Min: 4.9% Max: 71.1%

17.8%

Two or more adversechildhood experiences

Min: 1.2% Max: 20.9%

5.1%

State of Babies Yearbook: 2020  |  stateofbabies.org  |  2

What Defines Positive Early LearningExperiences?

Infants and toddlers learn through play, active explorationof their environment, and, most importantly, throughinteractions with the significant adults in their lives. Thequality of babies' early learning experiences at home andin other care settings impacts how prepared they are forlife-long learning and success. Parents who work or attendschool require access to a�ordable, high-quality careoptions that foster their babies' development. During thisrapid period of growth, access to screening and earlyintervention is essential to address potentialdevelopmental delays.

District of Columbia scores in the Improving Outcomes(O) tier for Positive Early Learning Experiences. The state'sranking in this domain reflects indicators on which it isperforming better than the national average, such as thehigher percentages of parents who read to their babiesdaily and income-eligible babies with access to Early HeadStart. District of Columbia is doing worse than the nationalaverage on indicators such as the lower percentages ofbabies in families with low/moderate income who receiveCCDF-funded care and babies who receive IDEA Part Cservices. Infant care costs as a percentage of the state'smedian income for single and married parents alsocontribute to the ranking. The state o�ers child caresubsidy assistance to families with incomes above 200percent of the Federal Poverty Level.

KEY Range of all state values District of Columbia National average

Getting Started Reaching Forward Improving Outcomes Working E�ectively

Yes Families above 200% of FPL eligible for child care subsidy

Yes Allocated CCDBG funds

2 age groupsGroup size requirements meet or exceed EHS standards

2 age groupsAdult/child ratio requirements meet or exceed EHS standards

High schooldiploma

Level of teacher qualification required by the state

No Infant/toddler credential adopted

No State reimburses center based child care at/above 75th percentile of marketrates

No State includes 'at-risk' children as eligible for IDEA Part C services or reports thatthey serve 'at-risk' children

Six Key Indicators of Positive Early Learning Experiences

Positive Early Learning Experiences Policy in District of Columbia

Good Health

Positive Early Learning ExperiencesIn District of Columbia

Parent reads to baby everyday

Min: 28.2% Max: 59.4%

54.7%

Developmental screeningreceived

Min: 16.0% Max: 60.0%

31.6%

Percentage ofinfants/toddlers receivingIDEA Part C services

Min: 2.9% Max: 28.0%

8.4%

Cost of care, as % of incomesingle parents

Min: 24.6% Max: 89.1%

89.1%

Percentage of income-eligible infants/toddlers withEarly Head Start access

Min: 3.0% Max: 23.0%

23.0%

Low/moderate incomeinfants/toddlers in CCDFfunded-care

Min: 1.8% Max: 9.7%

3.8%

Getting Started Reaching Forward Improving Outcomes Working E�ectively

All indicators for District of Columbia

Eligibility limit (% FPL) for pregnant womenin Medicaid

324.0National average: 200.0

Uninsured low-income infants/toddlers 0.8%National average: 5.4%

Low or very low food security 10.2%National average: 15.9%

Ever breastfed 81.1%National average: 82.9%

Infants breastfed at 6 months 61.0%National average: 54.6%

WIC coverage 100.0%National average: 85.9%

High weight-for-length among WICrecipients

10.1%National average: N/A

Late or no prenatal care received 7.6%National average: 6.2%

Mothers reporting less than optimal mentalhealth

9.6%National average: 19.8%

Infant mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 livebirths)

7.8National average: 5.8

Babies with low birthweight 10.0%National average: 8.3%

Preterm births 10.1%National average: 10.0%

Preventive medical care received 96.6%National average: 91.1%

Preventive dental care received 30.4%National average: 31.9%

Received recommended vaccines 74.0%National average: 70.4%

State of Babies Yearbook: 2020  |  stateofbabies.org  |  3

Strong Families

Positive Early Learning Experiences

*This indicator is not factored into the GROW tier rankings. | Note: N/A indicates Not Available.

TANF benefits receipt among families inpoverty

88.2%National average: 21.7%

Housing instability 0.5%National average: 2.7%

Crowded housing 19.2%National average: 15.5%

Unsafe neighborhoods 8.8%National average: 5.8%

Family resilience 86.1%National average: 85.2%

One adverse childhood experience 20.4%National average: 22.4%

Two or more adverse childhoodexperiences

5.1%National average: 8.6%

Infant/toddler maltreatment rate (per 1,000infants/toddlers)*

13.7National average: 15.9

Time in out-of-home placement* 17.8%National average: 20.2%

Infants/toddlers exiting foster care topermanency*

100.0%National average: 98.6%

Potential home visiting beneficiaries served 1.9%National average: 1.9%

Parent reads to baby every day 54.7%National average: 37.8%

Parent sings to baby every day 65.8%National average: 57.6%

Percentage of income-eligibleinfants/toddlers with Early Head Startaccess

23.0%National average: 7.0%

Cost of care, as % of income marriedfamilies

13.9%National average: N/A

Cost of care, as % of income single parents 89.1%National average: N/A

Low/moderate income infants/toddlers inCCDF funded-care

3.8%National average: 4.2%

Developmental screening received 31.6%National average: 31.1%

Infants/toddlers with developmental delay* 0.6%National average: 1.0%

Percentage of infants/toddlers receivingIDEA Part C services

8.4%National average: 9.7%

Timeliness of Part C services 95.0%National average: N/A

State of Babies Yearbook: 2020  |  stateofbabies.org  |  4