WASHINGTON – Faced with looming concerns about D.C. budget cuts, a group of parents, child care providers and businesses staged a “day of action” — warning that cuts to early childhood education could make it harder for parents to hold on to their jobs.

Mayor Muriel Bowser’s emergency budget could cut $400 million from current spending. Child care advocates tell FOX 5 they’re very concerned.

But looking ahead, the 2026 budget is already facing a $1 billion deficit over the next three years, driven in part by hits to D.C.’s economy from federal job cuts by the Trump administration.

Local perspective:

A group called Under 3 DC walked the halls of the Wilson Building Tuesday, urging city officials to spare child care and early childhood programs from the chopping block. Bowser acknowledged that “investments in kids” fueled the last economic renaissance in the District — but said with the tough forecast ahead, spending will need to be prioritized.

“When you ask me how we will prioritize those things? We’ll look to our budget for ‘26—which we’re excited about—and look forward to being able to give it to the council very soon,” said Bowser. 

The backstory:

Bowser is putting a freeze on new spending as the District deals with a massive budget problem created by Congress. 

As of right now, there are no planned closures to District facilities or plans to stop any services. No furloughs either. But the city’s memo makes it clear that all of those things are on the table.

City officials have to formulate a budget that is $410 million lower between now and Sept. 30.

D.C. leaders would not give an estimate of how much these freezes will save but the frustration caused by Congress is palpable. The District has the money it needs to remain fully functional but they can’t spend it because of a mistake in the federal spending bill. 

The Senate passed a fix and the president supports the fix but the House has not voted on it and they don’t return until the end of the month.

“I thought that because we had a bipartisan bill that came out of the Senate, we had the full-throated support of the President of the United States. This bill doesn’t save one penny of federal dollars and it was perfectly teed up for a vote, that’s why,” she said. 

The City Administrator has to give a plan to the mayor about further reducing money spent through potential furloughs or facility closures.

The mayor says that the plan cannot close schools but does give the city administrator the authority to terminate contracts, leases or other ways to reduce.