She had a wonderful teacher who became a part of our family. Most teachers who left that facility did so because they could earn more doing something else. Being a child-care provider is an unbelievably demanding responsibility for someone who earns slightly more than minimum wage. Shaping young minds is profoundly important to the future of our society. Many early childhood teachers are paid only slightly above the poverty level.
Parents are part of the problem.
We need to smile and ask them about their day, no matter how difficult our own was. These are the people who allow us the peace of mind to go to work knowing that our children are learning and growing in a safe, happy environment. I hope the employers reading this are ready to do some serious thinking about how they can help with the child-care crisis. Yes, it is a crisis. Just ask anyone parents, employers or co-workers who are left do the work when a parent is without child care.