A new report from the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) at UC Berkeley reveals that childcare workers across the U.S. are paid poverty-level wages, despite playing a critical role in early childhood development.
The 2024 Early Childhood Workforce Index shows that:
- Early childhood educators earn a median wage of just $13.07 per hour, with wages ranging from $10.60 in Louisiana to $18.23 in Washington, D.C.
- These wages fall below the living wage needed for a single adult in every state.
- Nearly half (43%) of childcare workers rely on public assistance programs like food stamps and Medicaid.
Worsening hardship
The financial hardship faced by these workers has worsened following the end of federal COVID-era subsidies. “We’re at a crossroads,” the researchers explain, noting that the loss of federal relief funding has pushed many childcare programs to the brink. As the 2024 elections approach, they argue that it’s crucial for policymakers to step up and provide more support to these educators, whose work is vital to families and the economy.
The report emphasizes the need for public investment to fairly compensate early educators. A well-supported workforce would mean more stability, allowing families to access high-quality, affordable care. The report offers a range of policy recommendations for advocates and government leaders, backed by interactive maps that compare state policies on worker compensation and highlight which states are leading—and which are lagging—in supporting their early education workforce.
The report highlights that childcare workers are among the worst-paid in the country, earning less than 97% of all other occupations. Conditions are even worse for Black and Latina women, who are often paid up to $8,000 less per year than their peers, despite having equivalent educational qualifications.
Loss of relief
Federal relief, such as the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), provided much-needed support during the pandemic, when many childcare programs were forced to shut down and 100,000 jobs were lost. The Index details how ARPA helped stabilize the workforce, with states like Utah offering extra funding to programs paying staff at least $15 per hour.
However, as federal aid has dried up, many programs are closing or raising prices for parents. The report also points to promising state-level initiatives. It shows that poor working conditions in early childhood education are the result of policy choices, not inevitability. States like Illinois, Kentucky, and Vermont have taken steps to improve conditions for early educators, proving that state and local leaders can make meaningful changes even without federal funding.
The report’s key recommendations include:
- Investing in direct public funding to provide early educators with a living wage, healthcare, and safe working conditions.
- Setting compensation standards and establishing a wage floor across all early childhood education settings so that no worker earns less than a regionally assessed living wage.
- Adopting workplace standards that ensure paid time off, professional development, and mental health support.
These policies, the researchers argue, would not only improve the lives of childcare workers but also benefit the families and economies that depend on them.
