Senate Approves Resolution on Child Care Wages

On May 15, the Senate approved a resolution (S. Res. 479), by unanimous consent, supporting the goals and ideas of a National Child Care Worthy Wage Day.

Sponsored by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), the resolution contains a number of findings, including:

• Thirteen million children are in nonparental care during part or all of the day while their parents work;
• The early care and education industry employs more than 2 million workers;
• The average salary of early care and education workers is $18,060 per year, and only one-third have health insurance and even fewer have a pension plan;
• The turnover rate of early childhood program staff is roughly 30 percent per year, and low wages and lack of benefits, among other factors, make it difficult to retain high quality educators who have the consistent, caring relationships with young children that are important to children’s development; and
• The Center for the Child Care Workforce, a project of the American Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation and other early childhood organizations, recognized May 1 as National Child Care Worthy Wage Day.The resolution calls for the observance of National Child Care Worthy Wage Day on May 1 by acknowledging the work of early childhood and education staff and programs.