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Valuable Work: Minimal Rewards: A Report on the Wisconsin Child Care Work Force
By Alice Burton, Peggy Haack, Kathy Modigliani, Marcy Whitebook
January 01, 1994

Summary: A 1994 state-wide survey examined the status of child care profession in Wisconsin. Surveyed were 326 family child care providers, 104 child care center directors, and 254 center teaching staff. Responses indicated that child care teaching staff have experienced a wage increase of just over 1 percent per year since 1988, and continue to earn low wages compared to other members of the work force, despite their relatively high level of education. Most centers offer limited health insurance or none at all and have high staff turnover, according to the survey. The survey also found that although family child care providers have experienced a 23 percent increase in earnings since 1988, they still earn low wages compared to other members of the work force. Finally, the survey found that most center directors do not receive fully-paid health insurance, and that their salaries are lower than administrators in other human services occupations. Most directors ranked improving teaching staff compensation as their top priority. Based on the survey, recommendations to improve the quality and availability of child care in Wisconsin include block grants, tax credits, and parental leave.

Index Terms: Benefits, Child Care Administrators, Child Care Providers, Compensation, Wages, Demographics, Earned Income Credit, Family Child Care, Government Role, Health Insurance, Licensing, Low Income Families, Professional Development, Professional Isolation, Program Directors, Provider Qualifications, Provider Training, Retention, Staff Turnover, State Standards, Statistics, Training Requirements, Work Environment, National Child Care Staffing Study, Wheelock College, Wisconsin Department Of Health And Social Services, Wisconsin Quality Inprovements Grants Program

Publisher: Center for the Child Care Workforce (CCW); Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA)

Publication Type: Reports (Descriptive)

Pages: 64 pages
Language: English

ERIC Number: ED389462

Availability
Center for the Child Care Workforce (CCW)
733 15th Street N.W., Suite 1037
Washington, D.C. 20005-2112
202-737-7700
202-737-0370 Fax
E-mail: ccw@ccw.org
http://www.ccw.org/
Wisconsin Early Childhood Association
240 Sherman Avenue
Madison, Wisconsin 53704
608-240-9880
http://www.quikpage.com/W/wisconsinearly/


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