[ad_1]
But with budgets tight due to factors such as flat revenue and the expiration of temporary pandemic aid, some city officials are bracing for cuts. And supporters of the Pay Equity Fund worry it is on the brink, potentially leading to higher child care costs and an exodus of educators.
“It’s like going backwards,” said Amy Ramos, a teacher at Petit Scholars, a network of childcare centers.
On Wednesday, dozens of educators, parents, and child care leaders descended on Wilsonville, wearing matching purple T-shirts, to remind the 13 members of the D.C. Council that the funds are in the budget. tried hard to persuade them to block the potential cuts. Bowser, a Democrat, plans to make a presentation to lawmakers in the coming days.
A spokesperson for the mayor declined to discuss details of the impending budget proposal. But when supporters visited City Councilman Charles Allen’s office on Wednesday, the 6th Ward Democrat offered his support for the fund. “If it’s severed, it needs to be repaired,” he said. “As with anything, there’s always a little devil in the details of where and how you find the money for it.”
The mayor was scheduled to present the budget to council last week, but the presentation was canceled.
Daniel Giong lives in northeast Washington. She said the Pay Equity Fund has helped her daughter’s school retain qualified staff and improve morale. The 37-year-old is looking for a job, but that will be difficult with her 2-year-old daughter at home, she said. “As someone who is trying to stay in the workforce, that’s not possible without childcare,” she said.
People who work with young children are among the lowest-paid workers in the country, and women of color are disproportionately represented, according to a study by the research group Mathematica and the Pay Equity Fund. The median hourly wage for childcare workers in 2022 was $13.71, compared to $22.26 an hour for similar occupations, including daycare and kindergarten teachers, according to federal employment data.
To increase wages, the D.C. Council in 2021 approved tax increases on the city’s wealthiest residents to inflate the Paycheck Equity Fund. Eligible educators receive between $5,000 and $14,000 per year depending on the role.
Mathematica researchers found that by the end of 2022, D.C. day cares will have hired 100 people. This is a much-needed boost for a city with high demand for seats, according to advocacy group Under 3 DC.
The calls for funding come as many child care workers earn associate’s or bachelor’s degrees, which are part of the new minimum education requirements for head teachers. Charlene Roach-Griff, co-owner of Petit Scholars’ Rhode Island location, said nearly all of her staff will return to school and their salaries will need to reflect their new qualifications.
“As small business owners, if these funds were to disappear, we wouldn’t be able to pay those salaries to our teachers,” Roach-Griff said, adding that the center is offering classes to help with wages. He added that there is a possibility of raising prices. “We don’t want to do that.”
Jacqueline Strickland, who has worked with children for 40 years, said its growth is in jeopardy because of budget strains. Many of her former colleagues left for higher-paying jobs in Washington, D.C. public schools or the U.S. Postal Service before the Paycheck Equity Fund was created, and once the Paycheck Equity Fund is depleted, the same will happen. She fears it will happen again.
“When equity funds came along, that was the only reason I stayed,” said Strickland, who teaches at Deanwood’s EduCare campus. Before she enrolled at the school, she said, she didn’t receive a raise for years, even after earning her associate’s and bachelor’s degrees. Her annual income of $57,000 barely covered her necessities.
Strickland’s current income is $75,000, which she says doesn’t reflect the decades she spent in the classroom. Still, her higher pay better reflects the effort her job takes, including planning her lessons and teaching her early math skills. Early childhood educators are often the first to screen children with disabilities or delays, something she’s seen more often since the pandemic.
“Kids are coming in with real trauma. They’re more aggressive, they’re less verbal, they’re exposed to screens for longer periods of time… They have shorter attention spans.” Strickland said. “So are you ready for this influx? You can’t be ready if you pay people less.”
[ad_2]
Source link
