The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services released a report detailing the low wages of the early care and education (ECE) workforce and the pay gap between ECE teachers and elementary school teachers.
According to coverage from CLASP, "... [C]hild care workers in 2015 have the lowest wages with an annual median income of just $20,320—30 percent less than Head Start teachers and more than 60 percent less than kindergarten teachers. In 32 states, median annual earnings for a child care worker are below the federal poverty level for a family of three, and in the remaining states earnings are below 150 percent of poverty. In 16 states, the annual median wage is less than $19,000".
Questions: How can we support those adult learners working in ECE to pursue career pathways in early and elementary education, offering more life-sustaining wages? What fields outside of education might offer these learners career advancement opportunities, while still allowing them to work with young children? Nursing and social work come to mind. Does anyone know of resources to support career exploration for early childhood educators?
Best,
Mike Cruse
Career Pathways Moderator
michaelcruse74@gmail.com