District of Columbia

Staff-child ratios

Requirements

Annual training

Child development center staff caring for children must complete at least 21 hours of professional development annually (including required health and safety topics); center directors must complete 12 hours of OSSE-approved professional development annually; staff certified in CPR and first aid are required under §150.

Lead teacher

A center teacher must be at least 18 and hold an associate or higher degree with a major in ECE/early childhood development (or a related pathway: a non-ECE degree plus 24 ECE credits and 1 year of experience; 48 credits including 15 in ECE plus 2 years; or a high school diploma plus a current CDA, with an associate degree required within the phase-in period).

Director

A center director must hold a bachelor's or higher with at least 15 semester credits in early childhood fields and 1 year of supervised experience, or an associate degree in ECE with 3 years of experience (bachelor's required within 6 years), among grandfathering/Montessori pathways.

Worth knowing

Full center table (§121.3): 0-24 months 1:4/8; 24-30 months 1:4/12; 30-48 months 1:8/16; 48-60 months 1:10/20; out-of-school-time under 6 years 1:12/24; 6+ years 1:15/30. Ratios apply at all times including naps and transport; two staff members are required per group in centers. Teacher/director education requirements included phased compliance deadlines that OSSE extended (most recently to December 2023).