While Delaware is finally beginning to wake up to the reality that society cannot function without affordable, reliable child care for its families — we must recognize that we still have much to do to support our early childhood workers.
The people working tirelessly to care for and educate our young children are usually saddled with a minimum-wage salary and no benefits; about one-half qualify for public assistance. Why should we punish educators for working with younger children? Child care workers ($11.20 per hour) earn less than half of what an average kindergarten teacher does ($27.75 per hour).
Child care is partially subsidized and supported by the state budget — but the investment levels are simply not high enough for providers to pay their workers a competitive salary. We simply can’t expect an entire workforce to be paid better until we pay providers more.
A recent survey from the Delaware Association for the Education of Young Children revealed that most child care centers are closing classrooms and turning away families (or placing them on long waitlists) because they don’t have the staff necessary to take them on.
On a regular basis, I receive an email from an organization that helps people looking for free items that others no longer need. To my horror, there was a posting from an early childhood teacher looking for books and crafts for the children in her class. What have we come to that teachers have to beg for castoff items to help them care for and educate the children of our community?
It’s time to support providers with the full cost of care, so they can take care of our families and theirs.
Margi Prueitt
Wilmington