Raising B.C.
Nelson Daily News
May 12, 2008
Editorial By: Michelle Cushway, Director of Childcare Programs, Kootenay Kids

To the Editor:

Re: Minister Reid's response to 'Our Children deserve quality Childcare'

As an Early Childhood Educator with over 20 years of experience, I feel compelled to respond to Minister Reid's reference to the ECE Incentive Grant Program and the ECE Student Loan assistance program.

There are only a total of 100 incentive grants available. Recipients will receive up to $5,000 over a two year period. An Early Childhood Educator will only qualify for this grant if they have not worked in a licensed group centre in the last two years. It is supposed to attract back those who have left the field.

Why did they leave in the first place? Because of the low wages! We have lost ECE's to the School District who pay over $20 per hour for these valuable professionals. Our Society pays $14.57 per hour. Who can blame them when they choose to leave for such a pay increase? Why would they choose to return if the incentive grant doesn't even touch what they would lose in a wage cut? What about those professionals who have stayed in the field?

I applaud the ECE Student Loan Assistance program. Unfortunately, it is attracting students to the programs that is the problem. Why take a 12- to 18-month program to graduate with a starting wage of $14.57? You could take a six-month care aid program at the same college and graduate with a starting wage of $18 per hour.

I suggest, and many of my colleagues agree, is that the Early Learning and Child Care field of British Columbia needs a wage enhancement funded by the provincial government. This would assist us to raise the wages of Early Childhood Educators. It would attract professionals back to the field they love. It would also attract students to Early Childhood Care and Education at colleges across the province.

ECE's deserve a starting wage of $20 per hour, we are raising B.C.