Home Hot Topics Articles Directors' Choice Awards About Us / Contact Us Activities & Curriculum Activities for Outcome-Based Learning Arts & Crafts Music for Learning Recommended Reading Sharing Boards: What Do YOU Think? NEWSlink Current National News Conference Calendar Topics In Early Childhood Education Art and Creativity in Early Childhood Education Job Sharing Board State Licensing Requirements Stay Connected! Each month we'll send you an email filled with articles and ideas for your classroom. Subscribe Now Date: 5/3/2005 7:44:00 PM Author: Texas caregiver (rroe@sbcglobal.net) Subject: I agree that center-based caregivers are... I agree that center-based caregivers are underpaid and set up poorly with benefits. I'm surprised that there are no unions for these workers because they certainly should have support of some kind, especially when it comes to base pay. We would see fewer turnovers in centers if this was the case and caregivers would feel more like the professionals that they are, (and appreciated!). If this trend continues, this country will see more home providers popping up because state regulated home-providers are as trained as anyone, (I have to complete CPR/first aid training plus 20 training hours, including 6 hours business management training, a year) and they can command more money and are recognized as business women/men. Child care center managers and owners should take note of that. We are also supplied with the same kind of age-related coursework for our little ones. Programs target the state regulated provider as much as they do the centers. I've never met a person who enjoyed working in a daycare center and I've met few that liked their director. These people have either completely got out of the field or have started their own in-home business. I think if centers were unionized and workers had better wages/benefits caregivers could better handle their job. The only downside to this belief, though, is that under a union even a poor caregiver gets the same amount as a good one. So I can understand an owner/director who would frown on that....and it would be hard to fire them as well if they are doing a bad job. Name: Email: Subject

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