How A Lack of Qualified Teachers Impacts Families and the Economy
Early childhood education is in crisis. Last month I wrote about the crisis of the shortage of educators and the challenge of finding qualified teachers who want to work in a demanding field that typically has low wages.
This month I am writing about the trials and impact this shortage has on families and our economy. According to a survey from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, four out of five daycare centers nationwide are understaffed. How does lack of available early childhood education impact more than families and children? A shortage of teachers means a shortage of spaces available in preschools and childcare for young children. A shortage of spaces means parents of young children may not be able to work. For many families, without childcare it is impossible to work. A young child cannot be left alone while a parent works outside the home. For parents that work in the home, it is nearly impossible to devote adequate attention to work and a child or children at the same time. Most of us, including families with young children, need gainful employment to pay their bills, feed and shelter their families, and be productive members of society in order for an economy to thrive.
My niece, like many parents, was faced with the childcare dilemma in her plans of returning to work after her the birth of her baby. She shared with me her desire to return to work as a nurse, a job that is important for the health and safety of her community as well as providing necessary income so that she could raise her child. And yet she explained to me that she was having a hard time finding quality affordable childcare. The centers that were affordable were not accepting any more children because they did not have the staff needed. The one center they found that had space was so costly that what was left after paying for childcare would not be enough to pay their mortgage and all other bills - even in a two working parent professional family. My niece’s solution: She found a center quite a distance from both of their jobs and their home and they are on the waitlists at three centers that are closer.
For our society and economy to function and to thrive, affordable high quality early childhood education is needed in every urban, suburban, and rural area in the country. Childcare cannot bankrupt families, and at the same time needs to significantly raise wages to attract and retain educators. It is time for the federal government to take a more active part in funding early childhood education – and you can help make this happen. Let your legislators know that you support federal funding for early childhood education in a mixed delivery system and that this funding is necessary for an economy to grow and thrive. You can do this by email, post card, phone call, and the easiest way is to go to this link https://fyff.quorum.us/campaign/34126/ and take 30 seconds to fill out the form. Call or write everyone you know and ask them to do the same. It is time to act.
