Can you put a price on the safety, happiness and education of a child? Child care is an absolutely critical service. The women and men who do this kind of work aren’t just part of our economy, they’re part of our families and communities.
But wages for child care providers aren’t in step with the value of the work they do. Hourly wages in the child care sector are just $10.31, which is 39 percent lower than the national average for hourly earners. One in seven child care providers lives in a household with an income below the poverty line. The cost that parents pay for child care has skyrocketed in the past 25 years, but real wages for the workers who spend time with our children haven’t risen at all.
That’s why we recognize May 1 as Worthy Wage Day. Since 1992, on this day, child care providers and their allies advocate for better wages and working conditions. This is a problem that must be addressed at every level. State programs are underfunded, labor laws have historically undermined the value of child care workers, and our culture does not always recognize the importance of child care services.
AFSCME represents thousands of child care workers who devote their careers to enriching the lives of children. We stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers as they call for respect and a living wage.