Compensation that Helps Build Quality

The nation may be finally waking up to the fact that early educators are essential and that the wages they earn are not competitive, do not reflect the importance of their job and often mean their families are living in poverty. As we continue to seek effective solutions to this problem without increasing costs for parents who cannot afford to pay more, Child Care Services Association is proud to offer the Child Care WAGE$® Program and Infant-Toddler Educator AWARD$®. With funding from Smart Start and the Division of Child Development and Early Education, these education-based salary supplement programs can help enhance early educator compensation. Salary supplement programs are not a “silver bullet” solution, but they are effective strategies, available now, that can help make a difference in their lives and the lives of the children they serve.

Getting needed compensation out into the field is a critical goal, and these programs have even more of a mission. They are about compensation that helps build quality. Early educators deserve fair, competitive compensation and young children deserve quality care and education in a stable and enriching environment. WAGE$ and AWARD$ are designed to address compensation and quality by rewarding retention and education earned.

Supplement amounts are tied to an individual’s level of education and they increase with advances in education. Participants are encouraged to get more coursework and when they do, they are financially rewarded and recognized. Children benefit from what their teachers are learning. n “In a field that is rewarding in many other ways, yet barely pays a living wage to most educators, this financial incentive helps fill in the gaps twice a year to make paying bills easier. It supports teachers to stay in the field and in a particular place of employment.

It takes some of the stress off, helps us better provide for the children in our care, and gives us emotional incentive to keep going.” (participating teacher)

n “It’s given me more financial security, decreased stress from financial strain and helped me to be a more present teacher for my children in the classroom.” (participating teacher)n “For our program, [the supplement] has been a huge incentive in a number of ways. One of the biggest is that it encourages staff to continue with education. This, in turn, has notable impacts on teaching and interactions with students and parents.” (participating director)

n “Receiving a WAGE$ or

AWARD$ supplement is very important because not only does it give an individual an incentive to increase their education, but it also provides a sense of satisfaction knowing that you are providing even better quality care.” (participating director)

WAGE$ and AWARD$ also reward and encourage retention. Young children need stable and engaging relationships with their teachers, particularly in the first few years of life when brain development is at a peak. The supplements are issued only after the participant has completed six months in the same early care and education program. These “commitment periods” reflect the commitment and consistency the participants have provided to their employer and the children they serve.

Children, families, child care programs and the economy overall benefit from this requirement because it helps mitigate the revolving door, which is costly for employers, especially now when staffing shortages are one of the biggest challenges. Parents not only need access to quality slots, but they can be more productive in the workforce when they know that their children have educated teachers who stay.

Do supplements make a difference for the recipients when issued every six months? According to the participants, absolutely! In FY21, 83% of WAGE$ survey respondents and 86% for AWARD$ said the supplement helped them pay bills and more than 70% in both programs said that it helped them meet other basic needs such as food and housing. The supplements also helped reduce their financial stress according to 98% of WAGE$ and 99% of AWARD$ respondents.

WAGE$ and AWARD$ help teachers have a better quality of life and help build the quality of care children receive.