By Victor Skinner | Center Square
The Louisiana Department of Education has distributed more than $ 17 million in scholarships to child caregivers across the state in a second round of scholarships.
The Department of Education (DOE)’s second round of the Teacher Support Grant for Child Operators awarded $ 17,492,800 in one-time scholarships or salary supplements for more than 700 open child caregivers in recognition of Teacher COVID-19 Frontline Service, according to a department statement.
The February funding is after an initial round of scholarships totaling $ 10,681,600 distributed to more than 600 open child carriers in August. The money aims to encourage teachers to stay in early childhood as they recover from the pandemic.
The DOE cites research from the University of Virginia, which found that more than half of early childhood educators are unable to pay for medical expenses, 40% struggle to buy food, and 30% report difficulty paying rent.
Another report presented by the DOE during the legislature highlighted the high turnover and low wages for early childhood care and education workers in Louisiana. About 35% of teachers in early childhood classes leave each year, and the rate is closer to 44% in child care centers. Only about one-third of teachers in public early classrooms remain in their positions for three years, according to the report.
Salary is a significant factor, with the typical childcare provider earning about $ 20,000 a year, or less than half of what school-based teachers earn. The pay is below the federal poverty level for a family of three and possibly why nearly 27% of early childhood teachers work second jobs, according to the DOE report.
“Teachers who work in early childhood care and education are still paid less than their service-industry peers,” said Cynthia DiCarlo, professor of early childhood education at Louisiana State University and executive director of LSU Early Childhood Education Laboratory Preschool. “Until we as a state decide to pay teachers par par with other job opportunities, we will not continue to provide quality early childhood care and education in Louisiana.”
The DOE’s report to the Legislature also pointed to 2017 research, which showed before the pandemic that Louisiana’s economy lost an estimated $ 1.1 billion a year due to absences and sales in the child care sector.
“When qualified, experienced educators are constantly leaving the field, it is inevitable that we will see a direct impact on quality,” said Libbie Sonnier, executive director of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children. “Either a program will have a ceiling of success that it is unable to exceed, or worse, we will begin to see a reduction in quality as programs struggle to recruit and retain strong early caregivers and educators.”
DOE scholarships are part of a multi-year strategy to stabilize the early childhood workforce, with teacher retention and compensation an important factor.
Gov. John Bel Edwards’ proposed state budget calls for a $ 43.4 million increase for early childhood education, which includes a more than $ 17 million increase for the LA-4 Early Childhood Program and “a significant investment” in the Early Childhood Education Fund.
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