Taking care of and educating children is hard work, and that’s true irrespective of a child’s age. As indicated by writer Melanie Trottman, some people are far better compensated for their work overseeing children than others. In many states, the average worker who cares for three year olds earn half what a worker earns teaching a five year old.
A new report by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of California, Berkeley finds that early educators are among the lowest paid U.S. workers – that’s true even when their education and certifications are comparable to Kindergarten teachers.
Accordingly, nearly half of child care workers are part of families participating in at least one public assistance program such as food stamps or Medicaid. America’s early childhood workforce cares for children before they reach kindergarten in preschools, childcare centers and homes.
The median national wage for childcare workers was less than ten dollars per hour last year. The national median wage for kindergarten teachers by comparison is almost twenty five dollars per hour. According to the study, only seventeen states have programs or policies in place to address the wage issue for early childhood workers, but those often fall short.
