Thursday, July 7, 2022
Early Education and Care - An Absolute Necessity
Here are some of the factors around the current state of our early education and care for our kids. According to a recent report from the Mass Taxpayers Foundation:
- Individuals and families lose $1.7 billion annually in lost wages,
- Employers lose $800 million annually in lost productivity and turnover costs,
- State government loses $200 million annually in foregone tax revenue.
The early education workforce is 92% female, and 41% women of color. Early educators with a bachelor's degree are paid 35% less than comparable teachers in public elementary schools. About 16,000 children are on the waitlist for subsidized care and many more are not even trying to access a subsidy. Tens of thousands of families are having difficulty finding a provider who meets their needs.
