Letter to the editor: Ending the child care staffing crisis
The child care staffing crisis, caused by the sector’s low wages, is rapidly diminishing working families’ access to child care. Unfortunately, programs all across Pennsylvania are closing classrooms and further limiting families’ options as they look for a safe, high-quality learning environment for their child while they work.
Across Pennsylvania there are thousands of families sitting on waiting lists. This impacts the workforce in every other Pennsylvania industry. Child care teachers are the workforce behind the workforce, and we are failing them.
The wages early childhood programs pay teachers don’t compare with many other less stressful and specialized industries. Child care supports all of us one way or another. It’s well past time to show the industry the respect it deserves by increasing funding with direct investments for teacher wages.
Eva Wood
Ligonier
Erin Schellenberger
Latrobe
Eva Wood is executive director of the Ligonier Valley Learning Center. Erin Schellenberger is site director of Latrobe Kinder-Schull.
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