Workers needed for students
Murphy Four-year-old Nyaa loves to have her photo taken. The children at Murphy Early Education Center play games and do a good bit of laughing while Nyaa pushes her way to the front of the camera.
Nyaa and her friends are among the dwindling number of lucky children who have secured a spot in an early learning center, as the country sees more centers closing due to lack of staff. Nyaa’s teacher, Sandy Hall, has worked in child care for more than 20 years, which is important both to the children who will learn from her and the crumbling structure above her.
There simply are not enough workers to care for all of the babies and toddlers of working parents. This means many parents are unable to go back to work for lack of meaningful child care, which then affects workers like Hall, who have dedicated their careers to teaching children.
That’s why Sheila Hoyle, executive director of the Southwestern Child Development Commission, insists that “child care is one of the
economic barriers to a full recovery.” If parents can’t work, businesses close and the wealth gap continues to stretch across all economic stratifications.
Kids turned away
Deirdre McMahan, assistant director of the commission, doesn’t fault COVID-19 for this crisis.
“We’ve known for a long time,” she said, referring to what she calls the “negatives” of the child-care profession. “It took a pandemic to recognize the early childhood professionals as essential.”
McMahan believes the pandemic revealed what she already knew – it’s difficult to find and train talented workers in child care. This deficit of workers has affected staff, parents and the children who would be taught at these early learning centers.
Terri Rankin felt the pinch earlier this year, when Eagle Knob Early Education & Preschool in Robbinsville shut down for lack of staff. She saved her job because she was talented and experienced enough to move into Murphy Early Education Center as the director.
However, some of her staff at Eagle Knob were left without a job. This closure then required the just under 30 students served by that center to stay home, forcing some parents to lose their jobs as well.
Even at the functioning early learning center in Murphy, Rankin said she “turns away children daily. One entire classroom is not open” because she doesn’t have the teachers to run it.
Rankin is “very worried” about the future of child care itself.
“It’s a cycle. If there is no child care, parents can no longer work,” she said, adding that she “can’t even imagine the worst-case scenario” if the field continues to diminish in numbers.
“Parents, child-care workers and the students themselves will all be affected. What are people going to do?” she asked.
Her hope rests in public awareness surrounding the “importance” of the work they do. “It’s vital to parents and to the welfare of the children.”
Hard work, low pay
Annette Shook, director of services manager for the Southwestern Child Development Commission, lists the cornerstones of the staffing crisis. “We have a hard time attracting staff both because the work is hard, and the staff are underpaid,” she said.
She’s quick to add that child-care professionals receive an enticing benefits package, including a 401K, paid sick and holiday leave, and a discount on child-care services. The staff would need to use that discount, as an average cost of a monthly tuition falls between $758-$943.
Sheila Hoyle parrots Shook on the reasons why this profession is in a crisis.
“Early childhood teachers earn a low wage,” she said simply. From her position, she has a longer-range view than those working in the actual centers, which has afforded her a dose of optimism.
Hoyle has bright plans for the future of child care.
“We need more money,” she said, before quickly adding, “We must increase the wages of our teachers.”
Hoyle already has her well-educated finger pointing at several avenues for funding. “There are already state and federal subsidies” available for the parents needing financial assistance to place their child in an early learning center, she said.
“We need to better direct the funding at the state and county levels” to help the workers. Gov. Roy Cooper announced in October that a historic $805 million will be set aside for distribution as Childcare Stabilization Grants, and Hoyle knows just what to do with the money: she intends to help reimagine the image of the child-care profession.
“Many people see the profession as ‘getting paid to play’ or working as a ‘babysit
ter,’ ” Hoyle said. She feels that if she is able to create pathways toward educational and experiential certifications, careers will begin to open – and flourish.
Changes within reach
Hoyle believes these types of changes are within reach.
“Child care is the workforce behind the workforce,” she said, adding that as more parents are unable to enter the workplace due to lack of quality child care, the more exposure the profession will experience.
Shook admits that early childhood teachers are not paid a living wage, but said that most of the professionals drawn to the field continue working despite that low wage. She added that they come to work “because they feel child care is rewarding. They love what they do.”
However, the profession itself is unable to attract new workers because the pay remains demoralizing. As for Hall and her fellow teachers at the Murphy Early Learning Center, she will continue to provide professional service even under the strain of an unprofessional salary.
That means Nyaa and the other happy children under Hall’s care have a secure place to learn and play – for now.