Advocating for child care wage increases...How?

Question

I am a 23 year old college student earning a degree in Child Dev. Administration hoping to one day open my own preschool. For one of my classes, I am currently researching Advocacy & the way in which it can affect current issues & policies of child care.

Having worked in many child care & education environments, I share the frustration with others in the issue of LOW wages of child care teachers & aids. People in this position often make only minimum wage & are expected to put in hours comparable to those of jobs which pay MUCH more...

Turnover rates in Child Care & Education Environments are not only high- they are growing...Teachers who love to teach children & aid in their education are growing more & more frustrated because they can barely afford to live on what they are paid...

As the popular saying goes, "Parents can't afford to pay, Teachers can't afford to stay...There's got to be a better way..."

What do you think can be done to help advocate for wage increases

Answer 1

I just heard a study saying regular public school teachers, especially specialty high school teachers are paid, really,something like $38 an hour plus a generous benefit plan. check out the link below. as for Early childhood, the second link is to hook you up with the Worthy Wage campaign. I do have some issue, I do not think more tax dollars should go to fund day care. The cost of child care is too high, many families would be better off taking the amount spent by the government for day care and just get a ?parental leave? subsidy.  an example, Early Head Start in my area costs $10,000 a year. add a second child, total day care bill hits an average of $18,000. Many moms don't earn this much! wouldn't the money be best used to keep mom at home, and offer enrichment mom-n-me programs for the low-income families (many already struggle with parenting issues, and here we are taking the kids out of the home so mom can make less than her day care bill)

Answer 2

Our state is putting more of an emphasis on early childhood education.  I believe that by 2015, a bachelor's degree will be required.  It doesn't appear, however, that the same emphasis has been put on securing living wages for those teaching our youngest students.  Until there is some sort of legislation, I don't think the wages will be in line with the responsibilities.  A segment of the public still looks at this as "daycare," so maybe some information needs to get out about what is done in preschool to get the children ready for kindergarten and to screen for potential problems.

I have an almost 23 year old daughter who is a full time assistant teacher in a classroom that brings in almost $4,000 a month in tuition.  She made under $9 per hour (under $18,000 per year) this past year..  

What a sad comment on priorities when her boyfriend makes over $10 (and $15 on Sunday) working in the produce department of a local store!

Good luck with your class and your future preschool!