Monday, April 30, 2007
Worthy Wage Day...
Tomorrow, May 1st, is Worthy Wage Day - a day to honor the individuals who care for, nurture and help educate our young children.
"Good early childhood teachers are the key to a program's quality," said Mark Ginsberg, Ph.D., Executive Director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. "Yet most earn only $18,000 or less a year, resulting in many talented teachers leaving the field."
Worthy Wage Day is a day of action built on locally-based organizing and outreach that takes place throughout the year. Activities are organized across the country to raise awareness and advocate for more public resources for early childhood educators.
Child care and preschool programs have difficulty attracting and keeping well-educated and trained individuals to work with young children. On a national average, more than a third of program staff leave the field each year, primarily due to the lack of adequate compensation, few benefits, and difficult working conditions. Only 18 occupations out of 770 surveyed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported having lower mean wages than child care workers.
Young children and their families benefit greatly from the work of early childhood teachers and providers. These educators deserve a worthy wage that reflects the skills and responsibilities involved in this vital work with children.
The theme for this year's observance is "Hanging by a Thread," which refers to the low pay that keeps childcare providers barely getting by. They may make minimum wage, or barely more than that. Most providers don't have access to health insurance and other benefits through their benefits, and it's very difficult to stay in the field unless they happen to be in a family with other sources of income.
Another problem is keeping quality, committed childcare providers in the field, as turnover tends to be high. This day is to highlight the dilemma of working parents who can't pay more for daycare. Childcare providers are getting paid less than people who give puppy dogs haircuts. Society needs to look at that, and consider whether there should be more support for parents who want quality care for their children so they can go to work.
One answer might be supporting programs that offer childcare, so parents don't have to carry the full burden and the workforce can be better paid. The group is recognizing "Worthy Wage Day" around the country today and hopes to get public officials as well as parents thinking about solutions.
Tomorrow, May 1st, is Worthy Wage Day - a day to honor the individuals who care for, nurture and help educate our young children.
"Good early childhood teachers are the key to a program's quality," said Mark Ginsberg, Ph.D., Executive Director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. "Yet most earn only $18,000 or less a year, resulting in many talented teachers leaving the field."
Worthy Wage Day is a day of action built on locally-based organizing and outreach that takes place throughout the year. Activities are organized across the country to raise awareness and advocate for more public resources for early childhood educators.
Child care and preschool programs have difficulty attracting and keeping well-educated and trained individuals to work with young children. On a national average, more than a third of program staff leave the field each year, primarily due to the lack of adequate compensation, few benefits, and difficult working conditions. Only 18 occupations out of 770 surveyed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported having lower mean wages than child care workers.
Young children and their families benefit greatly from the work of early childhood teachers and providers. These educators deserve a worthy wage that reflects the skills and responsibilities involved in this vital work with children.
The theme for this year's observance is "Hanging by a Thread," which refers to the low pay that keeps childcare providers barely getting by. They may make minimum wage, or barely more than that. Most providers don't have access to health insurance and other benefits through their benefits, and it's very difficult to stay in the field unless they happen to be in a family with other sources of income.
Another problem is keeping quality, committed childcare providers in the field, as turnover tends to be high. This day is to highlight the dilemma of working parents who can't pay more for daycare. Childcare providers are getting paid less than people who give puppy dogs haircuts. Society needs to look at that, and consider whether there should be more support for parents who want quality care for their children so they can go to work.
One answer might be supporting programs that offer childcare, so parents don't have to carry the full burden and the workforce can be better paid. The group is recognizing "Worthy Wage Day" around the country today and hopes to get public officials as well as parents thinking about solutions.
// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 5:10 PM 
