It’s an interesting and exciting time to be working in the early childhood workforce area and with our early childhood programs. Decades of research related to the importance of a child’s earliest years and the brain development that occurs laying a foundation for a lifetime of learning are now intersecting
“WAGE$ makes me want to keep going with my coursework. I love what I do, but there is not a lot of money in it. WAGE$ is an incentive to do it, to keep going because there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. My supplement increases with more classes. Who doesn’t like getting more money for more education when that coursework also helps change your life? You have education and you have money. It is a win-win. I don’t want to lose my supplement. It’s a big incentive.”
“WAGE$ encouraged me to get more education because my supplement increases and I’m explaining that to my coworkers because it really is a benefit,” said Kimberly Elliott, a Cleveland County teacher.
“Both WAGE$ and AWARD$ Plus are helping to alleviate the financial burden that we have faced, and I would like to see WAGE$ funded in every county because Guilford doesn’t have access to WAGE$. We all need a chance to succeed.”
It’s no surprise that LaTida Adams has been the director of A Brilliant Beginning Daycare in Durham, N.C., for 22 years. Her journey in the early child care field started when she was in the sixth grade and wrote in her journal, “I’m going to own my own daycare.” What she might not have anticipated was the path she would take to get there.
“WAGE$ helps me hire qualified staff because it does put them on par with other educators. Public schools don’t want to lose teachers every four months, so why should child care?” said child care director Catherine Lieberman.
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