Lack of respect and low wages affect the child care labour force

Community Action, Nov 22, 2004

OTTAWA -- Lack of respect and recognition, especially by other professionals, including the teaching profession, is cited a as a problem for maintaining a stable child care work force, according to a report prepared by the Child care Human Resources Council recently published.

While the importance of early childhood development receives growing recognition in social and psychological studies and policy studies, it is not reflected in support for a qualified and trained workforce of child care workers.

The report, Working for Change: Canada's Child Care Workforce, compares the current situation with that of the Council's 1998 report: "Child care spending and the supply of regulated care have increased. Nonetheless, the same workforce challenges remain: low wages and minimal benefits, high turnover among trained staff and the reality that early childhood education and care (ECEC) services are available to only a small proportion of young children." Budget restrictions in every province, except Quebec have made employment in this sector uncertain.

The unstable character of the child care labour force is reflected in the finding that many early childhood care students in community colleges:

* are not planning to work in regulated child care upon graduation, or are planning on a short period in the field

* are/will be seeking employment in the education sector, in "related" ECEC programs, or are taking ECE as a first step toward an education degree.

* approximately half of graduates of full-time ECE programs (who enter college straight from high school) work in child care 2 years after graduating and about 40% 5 years after graduating. In 2001 approximately 137,000 early childhood educators and assistants, of whom 44,000 worked at home, and 93,000 worked in a child care centre or nursery school

Wages and unsatisfactory working conditions are major concerns. The report shows that salaries remain low-at about half the national average for all occupations.

* Early childhood educators and assistants in 2000 averaged $19,000 for those working full time just over $19,000;

* Average annual earnings for full-time early childhood educators and assistants working at home were approximately $15,000 and for those working elsewhere were just over $21,000;

* those with a certificate or diploma $22,500.

Overall, job satisfaction was the lowest among those working in full-time child care centres, because of long hours, organization of the work, the view of their jobs as early childhood educators in conflict with the increasing custodial responsibility in certain parts of the country. The lack of employment benefits and concerns about the ability to be able to stay in the job without them, especially for older workers.

The study was prepared by Jane Beach, June Burrard, and Peter Forer.