20,000 signatures reached
To: Governor Kathy Hochul
PETITION TO PAY CHILD CARE WORKERS A LIVING WAGE
New York's working families need greater access to qualified and licensed childcare providers. To make this happen, providers need help to ensure that they can keep their doors open.
Childcare providers deserve a living wage with benefits such as health insurance and paid time off. They are responsible for molding the minds of the youngest and most vulnerable members of our society. Many providers have years of experience, along with degrees in early childhood education. Yet they are often considered merely "baby sitters" who are underpaid and disrespected. Child care providers and staff are essential workers and most importantly, child care is essential to our young children and families.
Without an affordable, safe and healthy place for young children to go, mothers are less able to work and earn money to help support the family. Rising cost of child care are becoming unaffordable to middle class New Yorkers. Universal childcare can be fiscally to the economy; the program will encourage mothers/fathers to return to the labor force, or continue their education without having to worry about the cost associated with child care. We need universal child care, because our economy can’t recover if working parents are left behind.
Nationwide, the average child care worker earns $12.24 per hour, far less than K-12 teachers. And in this competitive hiring market, other industries are raising wages and adding benefits to attract workers. Daycares are closing because they cannot keep current staff or hire new staff due to the higher wages and benefits in other industries.
We need:
1. Increased subsidy payments to allow childcare
providers to be paid for the true cost of care.
2. New funding to allow providers to increase wages and
benefits for staff to stabilize the workforce and create
more continuity of care for children.
3. Investments to stabilize existing child care programs,
create new childcare programs, specifically in childcare
deserts, to increase the number of quality and licensed
childcare options for parents.
4. Fund Universal child care for all working families.
Investing in these key areas will spur economic development by allowing more parents to go to work and school, while also giving childcare providers the resources that they need to expand their programs, invest in their staff, and continue to offer quality programs in their community. We successfully won major advancements in New York, but without additional state and federal resources, we will not be able to ensure that all parents have access to quality, licensed, and affordable childcare.
Childcare providers deserve a living wage with benefits such as health insurance and paid time off. They are responsible for molding the minds of the youngest and most vulnerable members of our society. Many providers have years of experience, along with degrees in early childhood education. Yet they are often considered merely "baby sitters" who are underpaid and disrespected. Child care providers and staff are essential workers and most importantly, child care is essential to our young children and families.
Without an affordable, safe and healthy place for young children to go, mothers are less able to work and earn money to help support the family. Rising cost of child care are becoming unaffordable to middle class New Yorkers. Universal childcare can be fiscally to the economy; the program will encourage mothers/fathers to return to the labor force, or continue their education without having to worry about the cost associated with child care. We need universal child care, because our economy can’t recover if working parents are left behind.
Nationwide, the average child care worker earns $12.24 per hour, far less than K-12 teachers. And in this competitive hiring market, other industries are raising wages and adding benefits to attract workers. Daycares are closing because they cannot keep current staff or hire new staff due to the higher wages and benefits in other industries.
We need:
1. Increased subsidy payments to allow childcare
providers to be paid for the true cost of care.
2. New funding to allow providers to increase wages and
benefits for staff to stabilize the workforce and create
more continuity of care for children.
3. Investments to stabilize existing child care programs,
create new childcare programs, specifically in childcare
deserts, to increase the number of quality and licensed
childcare options for parents.
4. Fund Universal child care for all working families.
Investing in these key areas will spur economic development by allowing more parents to go to work and school, while also giving childcare providers the resources that they need to expand their programs, invest in their staff, and continue to offer quality programs in their community. We successfully won major advancements in New York, but without additional state and federal resources, we will not be able to ensure that all parents have access to quality, licensed, and affordable childcare.
Why is this important?
We need your help. Speak up for child care, your silence gives Legislators permission to inadequately fund family daycare and daycare centers open and affordable to parents. High-quality child care helps children be more successful in school, and has shown improved health and increased earning outcomes over children's lifetimes.
The reopening of family daycare and childcare centers is essential to building back a healthy economy. Many family daycare programs and daycare centers have reduced capacity or closed entirely. Without viable childcare solutions, working parents will have a difficult time returning to work
The low pay contributes to the increased difficulty of hiring for child care jobs. Retaining staff and recruiting is harder now than it was before the pandemic
The reopening of family daycare and childcare centers is essential to building back a healthy economy. Many family daycare programs and daycare centers have reduced capacity or closed entirely. Without viable childcare solutions, working parents will have a difficult time returning to work
The low pay contributes to the increased difficulty of hiring for child care jobs. Retaining staff and recruiting is harder now than it was before the pandemic