But who Will Take Care of the Children? Childcare, Women, and Devalued Labor

Abstract

This paper considers the salaries, status, and working conditions of childcare employees. A survey of all childcare center workers in one community, and interviews with others from around the country, suggest that wages in this field are low and fringe benefits are rare. Workers' frustrations with compensation and lack of opportunity for advancement are balanced by their strong satisfaction gained from working with young children and their parents. But today's high demand for additional providers, together with new career options for women, has produced a teacher shortage that threatens the well-being of young children. Women's pay inequity, the devaluation of young children, and the privatization of the family are explored as social, economic and cultural factors which contribute to the problem. Alternative solutions are considered, including government subsidies for childcare wages and fees; fee increases for high-income parents-, unionization; comparable worth efforts-, and worker-parent-employer-community advocacy.