We're Uniting Center Teachers & Directors to Address Today’s Crisis in Child Care

In today’s world, working parents depend on quality child care to both ensure children’s safety and to give kids the early education they need to succeed. But all too often, parents face difficult challenges in finding child care providers who meet their needs.

The lack of affordable quality child care creates a serious problem:

• Quality, affordable child care is essential – but families are struggling to find it.
• Experienced child care providers are invaluable – but they’re leaving the profession in droves.
• Early care and education makes a difference for kids in school and life – but children aren’t guaranteed the stability and quality they need.

Funding Doesn’t Meet the Need
Single mothers, parents of children with disabilities, and other low-income families count on child care assistance so they can work their way out of poverty. But the care of only 1 in 7 eligible children is covered by funding from Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) through the Child Care and Development Block Grant. Since 2002, federal funding for child care has been virtually frozen.

A Shortfall of Providers Threatens Care
States have been forced to raise eligibility requirements, increase parent copays, institute waiting lists, and lower reimbursement rates for providers. Too many child care providers who want to nurture and teach children are forced away from the work.

Low reimbursement rates, few opportunities for training and advancement, and the lack of a voice in the policy decisions are causing sky-high turnover across the country. Kids aren’t getting the safe, consistent care they need to thrive.

Working with Employers to Improve
Workforce Stability, Training, and Benefits
Almost one-third of child care center staff leaves the early education industry each year, according to a recent national study. In order to tackle this problem, SEIU has partnered with child care centers and schools to retain staff in the following states.

Washington State
Representing teachers from 10 child care centers that serve preschool children in King County, SEIU Local 925 worked closely with child care providers, state legislators, and child advocates to establish the state’s first Child Care Wage-Career Ladder. This establishes specific job titles and related wages based on teacher education and experience.

West Virginia
In order to deal with skyrocketing health insurance costs, SEIU Local 1199WOK allowed seven Head Start agencies in the state to join the union’s health insurance plan, providing the same benefits at an annual savings of $200,000 per year.

Increasing State & Federal Support for Child Care
SEIU is a leader in expanding public investment in education, Head Start, and early care and education at the federal and state level.

Our efforts have helped:

•  Stop child care budget cuts in California, Illinois, Rhode Island, and Washington.

•  Pass a $20 billion fiscal relief package in 2003 that allowed states to preserve funding for vital
•  Win $1 billion in new funding for afterschool programs in 2001.
• Improve funding for Head Start, including an increase of almost $1 billion in 2000.