From Unlivable Wages to Just Pay for Early Educators

Teaching in early care and education (ECE) programs is one of the lowest-paid occupations in the United States. Low wages for early educators are not a new challenge. Compensation has been low in this field since its inception, but only recently have the public, policymakers, and other stakeholders begun to appreciate the full ramifications of paying such low wages for this crucial work -- work that is performed mostly by women, nearly half of whom are women of color. In the hopes of offering clarification and guidance, this report summarizes recent research on wage standards and critically assesses existing initiatives commonly intended to address the problem of low wages in ECE. The report also outlines the position of the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) along the three core areas of debate: (1) Why compensation reform is needed; (2) What compensation reform looks like; and (3) How to achieve compensation reform. [For the executive summary, see ED597182.]