Press Release

Joint Statement by the American Federation of Teachers and the Center for the Child Care Workforce on National Worthy Wage Day

Washington, D.C. — The American Federation of Teachers and the Center for the Child Care Workforce/American Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation encourage all professionals working in the early childhood field, as well as parents and advocates for children, to observe National Worthy Wage Day.

Highly qualified and well-paid staff is the key ingredient to ensuring that all children have high-quality early care and education programs. It is critical that our nation recognizes the detrimental effects of low wages and high turnover that continue to plague the child care field.

Since our partnership began over a year ago, the AFT and CCW/AFTEF have worked jointly to highlight the need for better salaries, benefits and professional development opportunities for staff working in early childhood education programs. Through this precedent-setting partnership, we have endeavored to improve working conditions, increase access to continuing education programs, and expand compensation packages for early care and education staff. We have used a variety of approaches including promoting change in public policies, campaigns to organize workers in child care centers, and legislation such as the Career and Wage Ladder in Washington state.

The AFT's associate membership program, the Child Care Workforce Alliance (CCWA), launched in 2002, has grown to include hundreds of individuals working in child care who now have access to low-cost insurance and other AFT benefits while connecting to an organization and movement of people committed to improving jobs for the early care and education workforce.

The AFT and CCW/AFTEF will continue to advocate for affordable, high-quality noncompulsory early childhood education programs. We will continue our work to increase compensation for all staff in early care and education programs and for greater public awareness about the true costs and benefits of high-quality early childhood education. Through our efforts, we hope that eventually, every day will be a Worthy Wage Day.

The AFT represents 1.3 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; nurses and healthcare workers; and federal, state and local government employees.