On May 12, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, a resolution (S. Res. 137) designating May 1, 2005, as “National Child Care Worthy Wage Day.” Sen. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) sponsored the resolution.
According to the resolution, “Approximately 14 million children are in out-of-home care during part or all of the day so that their parents may work.” S. Res. 137 indicates that for positive development, these children require caring relationships and “a consistent presence in their lives.” Noting that there is a high turnover rate for early childhood care providers, the resolution states that their compensation “should be commensurate with the important job of helping the young children of the United States develop the social, emotional, physical, and intellectual skills they need to be ready for school.”
Highlighting the importance of early childhood education in teaching language development, math skills, and social behavior, Sen. Corzine stated, “Unfortunately, despite the importance of their work, the committed individuals who nurture and teach our Nation’s young children are undervalued. The average salary of a childcare worker is just under $18,000 annually. In 1998, the middle 50 percent of child care workers and preschool teachers earned between $5.82 and $8.13 an hour, according to the Department of Labor. The lowest 10 percent of childcare workers were paid an hourly rate of $5.49 or less. Only one third of our Nation’s childcare workers have health insurance and even fewer have pension plans. This grossly inadequate level of wages and benefits for childcare staff has led to difficulties in attracting and retaining quality caretakers and educators. As a result, the turnover rate for childcare providers is 30 percent a year. This high turnover rate interrupts consistent and stable relationships that children need to have with their caregivers.” He added, “If we want our children cared for by qualified providers with higher degrees and more training, we will have to make sure they are adequately compensated. Otherwise, we will continue to lose early childhood educators with BA degrees to kindergarten and first grade, losing some our best teachers of young children from the early years of learning.”
