On April 30th, the White House Daycare team joined other leaders in early childhood education at the state capitol. The visit to Harrisburg was part of a larger campaign to raise awareness and drive change in the early childhood education space of Pennsylvania. The White House Daycare team knows how big of a role high-quality childcare and early education play in the development and well-being of young children.
Addressing the Challenges in Early Childhood Education
During our discussions with state representatives, our team highlighted the pressing issues facing the early childhood education industry. We emphasized that childcare teachers, the backbone of this sector, often don’t earn a livable wage, with the average salary ranging from $29,000 to $33,000 per year. In contrast, kindergarten teachers typically earn around $69,700 annually.
This stark disparity has led to a concerning trend – nearly 50% of childcare teachers plan to leave their jobs if their pay does not improve. We stressed that this staffing crisis is causing classrooms and entire programs to close, leaving working families without access to the care and education their children need.
Advocating for Change
To address these challenges, the White House Daycare team and many other advocates for early childhood education, propose to increase subsidy rates to the 75th percentile of the current price families pay for childcare services. This increase would help alleviate the rising costs of facilities, food, utilities, and supplies for providers participating in the Child Care Works program.
Additionally, a $284 million dollar investment in new and recurring funding for childcare teacher recruitment and retention initiatives. This funding would provide monthly payments to providers maintaining a subsidy agreement with the Commonwealth. These payments would be restricted for initiatives that would help retain and recruit staff, such as monthly wage increases, hiring bonuses, benefits packages, or retention bonuses for staff who achieve certain credentials or degrees.