From: dsegelho@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Diane Segelhorst)
Newsgroups: misc.kids
Subject: Day Care Worker Pay Scales - Shameful!
Date: 10 Apr 92 18:08:02 GMT
Reply-To: dsegelho@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Diane Segelhorst)
Distribution: na
Organization: Annapolis Detachment, CDNSWC

Here is an interesting article from a local paper (The Baltimore Sun)
from today, 10 April 92.  I'm almost hesitant to post it, because of
the flamewars over daycare vs. stay at home parenting.
(Article reprinted without permission)
------------
DAY CARE WORKERS GET LOW PAY, FEW BENEFITS

   In a survey with few surprises, the Maryland Committee for Children
found that the state's childcare workers receive low pay and few benefits,
making it difficult for day care center operators to attract and keep
competent staffs and ensure quality care for young children.
   Here are a few highlights:
 - A day care teacher in Maryland makes an average of $13229 a year,
or $6.36 an hour, according to the study conducted in 1990 and 1991.
   By comparison, a first-year teacher in Maryland - with a college
degree but no experience - earns between $21,000 and $27,000, depending
on where she teaches, says Ron Peiffer, spokesman for the Maryland State
Department of Education.  Day care teachers do not need degrees, but
must work at least one year in childcare and complete some college courses
for certification.
 - Day care aides averaged $10,229 annually, or $5.02 an hour.
 - Directors - those who run centers and often have college degrees -
earn an average of $19,094 annually, or $9.18 an hour.
   The survey of 416 randomly selected centers showed that more than
65 percent of childcare workers have had some college and that 25 percent
have college degrees.
 - Benefits, like wages, also fall short, the study showed.  More than
55 percent of the centers surveyed said they "could not pay for any
of their employees health insurance."  More than 36 percent did not
offer sick leave and 27 percent of the centers offered no paid vacation.
   The study is part of a report by the Maryland Committee for Children's
Salary Task Force, which has been studying compensation for three years.
The report estimates that for a center to adequately pay its workers,
it would have to charge $151 a week per child.  The average cost of
center care in Maryland is $77 a week.
-------------------

(Diane again)
There was also an accompanying article with interviews with some childcare
workers.  (It was too long to type in).  It basically said that those
who were in the field were there because they loved their work.  One
teacher with ten years of experience said she needed a new car but couldn't
afford one on her $12,400 a year salary.  I loved her comment that closed
the article.  She said "I love my work.  Where else can you enter a
room of 20 4-year-olds, and have them run to you and hug you and tell
you that you are beautiful?  It doesn't get much better than this."

Now for my feelings: I think it is SHAMEFUL how little these workers
are being paid!  No wonder there is such high turnover!  In this area
(Baltimore/Washington), $13000 per year is poverty wage!  We talk about
how to choose a good center, and how to make sure the teacher is good.
But how can you make sure that caring, loving people enter and STAY
IN the field of childcare, when they can't afford to pay their rent
on the salaries they earn?  One obvious solution would be to charge
more per child.  One day care director said she tried that, and raised
the rate by $2.50 per child per week.  She had people withdraw their
children because of the rate increase!  Something needs to be done,
but I'm not sure what.

Diane Segelhorst
dsegelho@oasys.dt.navy.mil