You're right, I don't read the Eastern Oregonian. But recently we set up a feed of our fave Activistas topics to rant about, and now, voila, article upon article of the stuff. Just now I came across this excellent, comprehensive special report on child care issues in Umatilla and Morrow counties (but relevant right here, too). It all sounds real familiar, mamas.
The report covers topics like: care shortages, caregiver resources, quality care, options for businesses, the link to economic development, and the tricky issue of why child care isn't valued - but should be. You can read the report for yourself (it's a jewel), but in the bizarre event that you don't have that kinda time, here is an excerpt worth repeating about why child care isn't valued as a profession, but should be:
A 2005 report by the Oregon Child Care Information Partnership points out that for many families, financial circumstances limit their access to quality child care - it's just too expensive. So, child care establishments have to keep their prices low, and they do this by paying low wages. The result: The child care industry has an inexperienced and minimally-trained work force, with high turnover. There are few incentives for child care providers to get advanced education and training above and beyond what is mandated by state licensing rules.
If we - as a county, a state and a nation - fully recognized the value of high quality child care and set forth to train and compensate child care providers at a higher level than we do currently, the benefits would outweigh the costs. These benefits include more productive parents in the work force, less employee absenteeism, and - most importantly - children who are better prepared to learn in school, because they have spent time in high-quality child care environments with well-trained, well-compensated child care providers who stay in their jobs long term.
Well said. That sure sums up the issue we've been working to address at our child care: paying our amazing teachers a living wage so they can choose to continue working with our children, who (like us parents) adore them and learn so very much from them. Parents pay too much, teachers earn too little, and we all are the worse for it. Can you say: public funding?? Or is there some other way to solve this one, mamas?
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