Sipple: We appreciate teachers but what about child care staff?

I think we all agree that we really appreciate our teachers. But one segment that I believe doesn’t get the respect it deserves is child care teachers/workers.

Think about how important they are to our children. They are the first nonrelatives kids encounter outside their homes. It is the beginning of their socialization with other children and adults. They will spend more hours with these adults in a day than they will with their parents. The children bond with these new adults. They learn from these new adults.

We need to respect this profession and come up with ways to keep these workers from leaving because the pay is too low, and there are often no benefits. I realize child care is expensive enough but maybe the state can come up with something to help these day cares hold on to good, qualified employees.

Stan Sipple

Felton

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