Child Care Services Association

ensuring affordable, accessible, high quality child care
for all young children and their families



	T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® National

	Child Care WAGE$® National

	Launching a T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® or Child Care WAGE$® Project in Your State

	Making the Case for the Workforce

	Partners and Funders

	Help Going to School

Home | Programs to Improve Child Care Quality| T.E.A.C.H. TA/QA Center | Child Care WAGE$® National

Child Care WAGE$® Project: A National Effort

Compensation Matters…for an undervalued early childhood workforce

"If compensation is an indicator of the value we place on work in this country, then the early childhood field, comprised of 97% women, is one of the most undervalued in our society. In this country, a woman who is 18 years or older with a high school diploma and who is working full time earns an average salary of $28,657. Yet, with an average salary of $18,820, an early childhood teacher earns only 65% of that. Clearly, the early childhood workforce deserves compensation that is commensurate with the work they do."

- T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Technical Assistance and Quality Assurance Center 2007-08 National Annual Program Report

"WAGE$ has helped me keep my home and have funds for my children. It has helped me to make it everyday. Thank you for saving my home, giving us food and keeping me from being homeless. Thank you from the top and bottom of my heart."

- Early childhood teacher and WAGE$ recipient

Child Care WAGE$® provides education-based salary supplements to low-paid teachers, directors and family child care providers working with children between the ages of birth-5.

To help stem the tide of turnover and increase teacher continuity Child Care WAGE$® provides regular salary supplements to early childhood educators based on education achieved and the continuity of care they provide. And while a salary supplement helps keep educated and motivated teachers in classrooms, WAGE$ is more than just a check. WAGE$ also serves to equalize the playing field by successfully reaching the diversity of the field.

WAGE$:

Recognizes the challenges and diversity of the workforce
Links incremental educational accomplishments and continuity of care with compensation incentives
Provides children with more stable relationships with better educated teachers, because the supplement increases earnings and rewards teacher education and continuity of care
Is available to teachers, directors and family child care providers working in regulated settings

2010-11 Child Care WAGE$® National Participant Outcomes and Demographics

Outputs

Funding

$13.8 million funded WAGE$ Projects in four states.

Participants

9,022 early care and education teachers, directors and home providers participated in WAGE$.

Compensation

$719 was the average six-month supplement.

Outcomes

Education

24% - 46% of WAGE$ participants submitted documentation that they had completed additional coursework.
13 – 38% of WAGE$ participants submitted enough documentation of completed coursework to move up a level on the WAGE$ supplement scale.

Retention

Turnover rates ranged from 0 – 12%, far lower than typical rates for the early childhood workforce.

Demographics

3,263 child care programs employed WAGE$ recipients.
56% of WAGE$ participants were people of color.
99% were women.

Replicating the Child Care WAGE$® Project in your state

In addition to operating in North Carolina, the Child Care WAGE$® Project is licensed for replication in other states. To learn more about starting a Child Care WAGE$® Project in your state, click here.

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