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COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
OFFICE OF COUNCILMEMBER BROOKE PINTO
THE JOHN A. WILSON BUILDING
1350 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W., SUITE 106
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004
November 14, 2025
Nyasha Howard, Secretary
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Secretary Howard,
Today, along with Councilmember Allen, I am introducing the “Pathways to Prosperity for Young
Parents Pilot Amendment Act of 2025.” This legislation establishes a pilot program to create a
one-year pilot program designed to expand economic opportunities for young adult parents by
subsidizing a portion of wages and encouraging employers to provide stable, long -term
employment. The bill reflects our commitment to ensuring that every young parent in the District
has the opportunity to build a secure and prosperous future for themselves and their children.
In today’s competitive job market, where stab le, family-sustaining employment is increasingly
difficult to secure,1 young adults already face significant barriers to gaining education, skills, and
the work experience needed to succeed. For young parents these challenges are even greater. The
transition from adolescence to adulthood is a particularly critical time for building the foundations
of economic independence,2 yet young parents often face systemic barriers —such as the lack of
affordable childcare, flexible job opportunities, and vocational tra ining programs—that make it
harder to enter and remain in the workforce. 3 The result is that many young parents experience
unstable employment, lower entry wages, and fewer career advancement opportunities.4 While the
District offers several youth -focused employment programs, none are specifically designed to
directly support young adult parents, leaving a gap that must be filled.5
The Pathways to Prosperity for Young Parents Pilot Amendment Act will:
• Establish a one-year pilot program for young parents a ged 16 through 24, providing 100
employment vouchers to subsidize 50% of their wages for up to 40 hours a week at the
prevailing wage for the position they fill; and
1 Brookings, How family-sustaining jobs can power an inclusive recovery in America’s regional economies,
(February 2021), available here.
2 Urban Institute, Stabilizing Young People Transitioning to Adulthood: Opportunities and Challenges with Key
Safety Net Programs, (February 2021), available here.
3 National Skills Coalition, Young parents and workforce development in a post-pandemic world: Touchstones to
guide policy and research, (September 2020), available here.
4 Urban Institute, Understanding Young-Parent Families: A Profile of Parents Ages 18 to 24 Using the Survey of
Income and Program Participation, (February 2018), available here.
5 Youth Services, District of Columbia Department of Employment Services, available here.
• Require participating employers commit to good -faith efforts to transition program
participants into permanent positions once the subsidy ends.
Supporting our youth means investing in their potential and ensuring that parenthood does not
become a barrier to prosperity for them or their children. This bill creates a structured pathway for
young parents to build meaningful careers while offering employers the tools and incentives to
foster these young employees’ long-term career growth. By empowering the young families within
the District with real work experience opportunities and financial independence, we strengthen not
only their futures but the future of the entire District.
Should you have any questions about this legislation, please contact my Legislative Counsel, Isaiah
Boyd, at iboyd@dccouncil.gov.
Sincerely,
Brooke Pinto
Councilmember, Ward 2
Chairwoman, Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety
Council of the District of Columbia
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Councilmember Charles Allen Councilmember Brooke Pinto 5
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A BILL 9
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 13
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To amend Youth Employment Act of 1979, effective January 5, 1980 (D.C. Law 3-46; D.C. 18
Official Code §§ 32-241 and 32-242) to add a definition for “young adult parent” and 19
establish a one-year pilot program providing up to 100 employment vouchers for young 20
adult parents aged 16 through 24, subsidizing a portion of wages to encourage public and 21
private employers to hire and retain young adult parents, and requiring participating 22
employers to provide standard employee benefits and a soft commitment to transition the 23
employee into permanent placement upon termination of the voucher. 24
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 26
act may be cited as the “Pathways to Prosperity for Young Parents Pilot Amendment Act of 27
2025”. 28
Sec. 2. The Youth Employment Act of 1979, effective January 5, 1980 (D.C. Law 3-46; 29
D.C. Code § 32-241 et al) is amended as follows: 30
(a) Section 2 is amended by adding a new paragraph (9) to read as follows: 31
“(9) “Young Adult Parent” means an individual aged 16 through 24 who is the 32
custodial or non-custodial parent of a child under 18 years of age.”. 33
(b) Section 2a(a) is amended by adding a new paragraph (8) to read as follows: 34
“(8) Young Adult Parents Employment Voucher Pilot Program. — 35
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“(A) The Mayor, through the Department of Employment Services 36
(“DOES”), shall establish a one-year pilot program providing up to 100 employment vouchers to 37
subsidize wages for young adult parents who are domiciliaries of the District of Columbia. 38
“(B) Each voucher shall provide a subsidy of not more than 50 39
percent of the prevailing hourly wage for the position filled for up to 40 hours per week for no 40
longer than 12 months, provided that: 41
“(i) The employer pays the remaining wage share and 42
provides all standard employee fringe benefits offered to other employees in comparable 43
positions; and 44
“(ii) The position provides a work experience reasonably 45
calculated to result in the transition to unsubsidized employment. 46
“(C) Eligible employers shall include public agencies, nonprofit 47
organizations, and private-sector businesses with a physical location in the District that are in 48
good standing with the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. 49
“(D) An employer participating in the program shall enter into a 50
memorandum of understanding with DOES affirming a commitment to consider the voucher 51
employee for permanent employment at the conclusion of the subsidy period. 52
“(E) DOES, in coordination with the Office of the Deputy Mayor 53
for Planning and Economic Development and the Department of Human Services (“DHS”), shall 54
engage employers in the private sector, with an emphasis on businesses that are eligible as local 55
business enterprises, small business enterprises, or disadvantaged business enterprises, as such 56
terms are defined in § 2-218.02, 57
“(F) DOES shall partner with DHS, the Office of the State 58
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Superintendent of Education, and other relevant agencies to identify and refer eligible young 59
adult parents for participation. 60
“(G) DOES may provide additional supportive services to 61
participants, including transportation assistance, workforce counseling, job readiness training, 62
and access to childcare resources, as necessary to support successful completion of the program. 63
“(H) By December 1, 2027, DOES shall submit to the Council a 64
report evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program, including the number of participants, 65
completion and attrition rates, placement outcomes, and recommendations on whether to make 66
the program permanent.”. 67
Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement. 68
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 69
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 70
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 71
Sec. 5. Effective date. 72
This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 73
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 74
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 75
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 76
Columbia Register. 77