Each year, the first full week of May is reserved for Teacher Appreciation Week, a week for students and families to say thank you to the teachers that have worked so hard all year to help their students be successful. This week has typically focused on the K-12 school system; however, there is a large group of teachers who deserve just as much recognition – the early childhood educators working in child care programs for infants through school-age programs.

Child care providers work in classrooms and in family child care homes, serving in private child care programs and Head Start classrooms. They care for the most vulnerable infants and they guide elementary school students after the children have spent all day sitting at a desk. Child care providers offer parents and caregivers peace of mind that their children are safe and cared for when the family can not be with them during the day. This allows parents and caregivers to support their families by working and to be autonomous in their communities. 

At the same time, these dedicated early educators help prepare children to be successful in their future education by helping them learn to follow classroom routines, interact with their peers and adults, and introduce pre-academic skills. Child care providers become an integral part of the village that it takes to raise each individual child, and all the families that have utilized child care for their children understand how important each one of these men and women are to the children that they care for and educate each day.  

There’s no denying that child care providers play an essential role in the lives of families with young children and deserve our appreciation and recognition. First and foremost, that means adequate compensation for the important role they play in early childhood education and care. Currently the average full-time child care provider in Kentucky makes approximately $30,000 per year, in comparison to the average Kindergarten teacher making over $50,000 per year. Additionally, access to benefits, such as health insurance, retirement, and paid time off, ensures a supported workforce that can show up for those they serve. Finally, overall respect shown to the field of early childhood education from parents, community members, and leaders can go a long way in boosting morale and ensuring a more sustained child care workforce.

Communities can show their appreciation for the dedicated and hard-working early childhood education workforce in a few ways:

  • Start off simple. If you have a child in child care, tell the staff members how much they are appreciated! Let them know that you value their expertise with children, and especially their expertise with your child. Writing these thoughts down in a card can be a precious gift to a teacher that he or she can keep for years to come.
  • If your child is in a child care center, make sure to let the administrator or board members know that your child’s teachers are doing a wonderful job of caring for and educating your child. When the teacher goes out of their way to care for your child, go out of your way to let the administrator know how much you appreciate their work.
  • Since the child care provider is an expert on child development, make sure to acknowledge their insights on how to help your child be successful. If they are concerned about your child demonstrating challenging behaviors, then work with the teacher to create a plan to eliminate challenges.
  • It is essential for parents and community leaders to understand that child care programs are financially fragile. In order to pay teachers a fair wage with benefits, child care programs need additional support from both state and federal government. Let your local elected officials know that child care programs in your community are important. 

*If you don’t know who the legislators in your community are, you can click here to look up your state Representative and Senator. 

This week, we set aside Friday, May 9th to honor our early childhood educators on Provider Appreciation Day! 

Join us in expressing gratitude to each child care provider who is giving time, energy, and love to care for our youngest children. It is a time to let these providers know that you recognize their jobs are not easy and you appreciate the hard work and dedication they are giving in order to help our youngest children be successful right from the start.

Photo by Yan Krukau via Pexels