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Photo by: DOL's PhotoDisc
photography library |
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Overview
The demand for child care services continues to escalate with the
increase in the number of mothers entering the workforce. Between 1990 and
2000, the percentage of mothers in the workforce with children under age 3
increased from 54 percent to 61 percent. Today, three out of five preschoolers
have mothers in the workforce. Quality child care is a significant workforce
issue. Recent welfare reform coupled with a growing trend in families with two
wage earners has increased the need for quality child care services regardless
of economic class.
Improving the overall quality of child care services remains a
challenge. One factor leading to poor quality is the high turnover rate of
knowledgeable and experienced child care workers, which is due in large part to
workers’ dissatisfaction with the minimal pay and benefits their
profession provides. Another factor affecting the quality of child care
services is the caregivers’ level of education and training, which can
impact the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development of children.
The Department of Labor is committed to promoting initiatives that improve
child care providers’ working conditions and increasing access to
affordable, quality child care, thus helping parents carry out job
responsibilities without sacrificing family commitments.
Serving the Public
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Outcome Goal 3.3
Net Costs ($M) |
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In the Department of Labor, the Employment and Training Administration
has launched a national initiative to develop a cadre of professional child
care specialists and to enhance a system for training and certifying child care
workers.
Through quality improvements such as the Credentialed Career Path of the
National Registered Apprenticeship System, which the Employment and Training
Administration sponsors and facilitates, the Department is playing a pivotal
role in benefiting children, working parents and child care workers. The
Department’s critical investment in the Quality Child Care Initiative will
help ensure American families have access to quality child care and child care
practitioners have access to education and training for professional
development. This high quality training has the potential to change the culture
of the child care industry from one characterized by low pay and high turnover
to one of retention, stability, high quality care and a respected professional
service that meets the needs of working parents in the 21st Century workforce.
Program Costs
Outcome Goal 3.3 includes direct program funds principally for the child
care apprenticeship program. Net program costs for this outcome goal have
fluctuated somewhat over the past three fiscal years (FY 1999-2001), ranging
from $6.4 million to $7.8 million.
DOL Challenges for the Future
The challenge for the Department is to continue strengthening child care
for working parents within the constraints of limited resources. DOL harnesses
the power of all levels of government working together with businesses,
experts, advocates, child care providers, child care workers, and parents. The
Department continues to pursue expanding and maintaining sustainable, safe,
quality child care, and in cooperation with its partner, the National
Association of State and Territorial Apprenticeship Directors, fostering
individual States’ participation, and conducting marketing activities with
Workforce Investment Boards and ongoing consultations with industry
representatives and associates.
PROVIDE SAFE, QUALITY CHILD CARE
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New Childcare Apprentices
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The number of states with registered child care apprenticeship
programs will increase to 49 and the number of new child care apprentices will
increase by 20% over FY 2000.
Results: The goal was not achieved. The number os States with
registered child care apprenticeship programs did not increase and remains at
39. The number of new child care apprentices increased by 83 percent over FY
2000.
Program Description: The Quality Child Care Initiative addresses
the need to provide working families with safe, affordable, quality child care
and an adequate supply of competent, professional child care providers. The
initiative is part of an upgrading effort currently taking place in the child
care industry. The Department provides technical assistance to the States in
developing Child Care Development Specialist Apprenticeship programs to improve
the quality of formal training that child care providers receive.
Analysis of Results and Strategies:
The Department did not expand the number of States participating in the
program in FY 2001 since it was conducting a review of child care grant and
program performance. DOL encouraged States without pilot grants to register at
least one child care program and increase the number of new apprentices in each
State by 20 percent. This strategy helped to increase the total number of new
child care apprentices from 700 in FY 2000 to 1,278 in FY 2001, resulting in a
significant overachievement of the target for the second consecutive year. The
Department has also contributed to the success of the child care apprenticeship
program by distributing information on best practices and fostering closer
working relationships between professionals providing child care services and
State government representatives.
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Betty recently graduated in the
first class of the Pre-Apprenticeship Child Care Program. Betty and her
classmates - all of whom were previously on welfare - quickly found positions
in the child care field. Betty works for the Esther B. Peterson Day Care Center
at the Department of Labor. "I am now a member of the freshman class of
Southeastern University," Betty says with pride. "Southeastern University
partners with DOL providing three credits toward an Associates Degree for
program graduates." Betty, the parent of a 10 year and a 2 year old, now is
very busy working in the child care field as she continues her education and
caring for her own children. |
| Photo by: Michael Carpenter |
Goal Assessment and Future Plans:
The Department has revised its FY 2002 apprenticeship goal to target
program expansion, by offering apprenticeship as a means for meeting the
training needs of business and workers in areas where the program has not been
traditionally used. Specifically, the Department has established the following
performance measures:
- Increasing the number of new apprenticeship programs;
- Increasing the number of new businesses involved in apprenticeship;
- Increasing the number of new apprentices; and
- Increasing the number of new programs in new and emerging
industries.
In the longer term (2-4 years), as the number of programs and
apprentices increase and the data system improves, the Department will add
goals for the percentage of individuals enrolled who complete apprenticeship
programs and for average wage gains.
The Department’s focus on increasing the number of child care
apprentices will continue in FY 2002 with program results integrated into the
broader reporting of results against the new performance measures above.
(Goal 3.3A — FY 2001 Annual Performance Plan)
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