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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Care Costs Take a Toll on Workers
Blackcat31 06:43 AM 07-20-2016
another excellent article about how the balance between parents and child care workers is so out of balance.....

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/13/bu...l?src=twr&_r=0
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Cat Herder 07:19 AM 07-20-2016
“A major goal of early childhood services has been to relieve poverty among children, yet many of these same efforts continue to generate poverty in the predominantly female, ethnically and racially diverse early-childhood-education work force,”

Where do the parents, grandparents and extended family factor in here?

Why can we never have the birth control discussion? Birth control for women still requires invasive procedures, not covered by insurance and often times open to slut shaming.

Wouldn't starting early intervention there be more effective against childhood poverty than my having out three different art projects per kid, with 3 different mediums, one being 3-D, at all times?
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SignMeUp 07:51 AM 07-20-2016
The last two sentences of the article is where some discussion needs to begin. Well, the second to the last in particular. It is an attitude that permeates the perceptions of legislators and many parents, and it needs correction.
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Cat Herder 08:01 AM 07-20-2016
"Even so, Ms. Salinas and her colleagues have families of their own to support. On a trip to lobby for education funding at the state Capitol in Santa Fe, she remembered meeting with a senator who told her, “You don’t get into this for the money; you’re paid in love.”

“Really?” she replied. “When my landlord comes, can I just give him a hug?”



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Thriftylady 08:19 AM 07-20-2016
Hmm so when they come to shut off my water or gas, a kiss and a hug should make it all better! Gosh why does everyone work for money then?
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DaveA 09:09 AM 07-20-2016
I'm really torn on this article, and I'm sure I'll step in it trying to explain. On one hand this profession is underpaid/ economically challenging. There are a myriad of reasons why. I'm unsure folding it into public schools or throwing $$ at it will solve many of those issues. But it is a real problem.

OTOH- If you've spent 14 years at nonprofit that can't pay enough to get you off food stamps, that's kind of on you. Looking back at how our life has changed since I met my wife we've both gone back to school, taken new jobs that fit our needs (both financial and other) better, and made decisions that were not fun or easy but were for the long term betterment. When I leave this field it will be for a business I've spent years turning from a hobby into a potential career. That's on my wife & I and wouldn't expect it to be a concern for others.

I just don't know. I can see so many points from so many divergent angles. Not sure how I feel about it.

Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
"Even so, Ms. Salinas and her colleagues have families of their own to support. On a trip to lobby for education funding at the state Capitol in Santa Fe, she remembered meeting with a senator who told her, “You don’t get into this for the money; you’re paid in love.”

“Really?” she replied. “When my landlord comes, can I just give him a hug?”


Yeah- because that person is a Senator just "to serve the people"
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Play Care 09:11 AM 07-20-2016
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
"Even so, Ms. Salinas and her colleagues have families of their own to support. On a trip to lobby for education funding at the state Capitol in Santa Fe, she remembered meeting with a senator who told her, “You don’t get into this for the money; you’re paid in love.”

“Really?” she replied. “When my landlord comes, can I just give him a hug?”


So much this! I've said before that hugs and kisses don't pay the bills.

They also touched on the other reality - those with advanced degrees (over an Associates in this case) is not going to stay in ECE when they can go to a public school and actually make a somewhat liveable wage.
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Thriftylady 09:25 AM 07-20-2016
Originally Posted by Play Care:
So much this! I've said before that hugs and kisses don't pay the bills.

They also touched on the other reality - those with advanced degrees (over an Associates in this case) is not going to stay in ECE when they can go to a public school and actually make a somewhat liveable wage.
I wonder what that same senator would say when his salary couldn't be paid because we were all paying taxes with love.
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SignMeUp 09:38 AM 07-20-2016
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
"Even so, Ms. Salinas and her colleagues have families of their own to support. On a trip to lobby for education funding at the state Capitol in Santa Fe, she remembered meeting with a senator who told her, “You don’t get into this for the money; you’re paid in love.”

“Really?” she replied. “When my landlord comes, can I just give him a hug?”


Thanks! My device would not copy and paste.
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Cat Herder 09:40 AM 07-20-2016
Originally Posted by Thriftylady:
I wonder what that same senator would say when his salary couldn't be paid because we were all paying taxes with love.
Um, he is a senator. We all know how they feel about the worlds oldest profession.

I got lost in the part where my private, home based, childcare business became a government program to reduce childhood poverty. How did that happen?
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Annalee 09:47 AM 07-20-2016
I had a licensor years ago tell me child care was always last on the agenda for legislative issues....and by the time they got to child care no one had read or intended to read what was there.....leading to quick decisions with some things not being passed and some things being passed that were crazy.... I find this to be true because every legislator that has been shown the assessment book is stunned at what they see but the law has already passed and no one will touch it now!
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hippiedaycaregal 10:21 AM 07-20-2016
Honestly I see my daycare as supplemental income so I can stay home with my kids, if it was just me I couldn't afford to live on it unless I had 12 kids here every day and no sanity! Long term I'll be switching careers once kids are in school. Sadly well educated providers with quality programs are not paid what they're worth
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Play Care 10:39 AM 07-20-2016
Originally Posted by DaveA:
I'm really torn on this article, and I'm sure I'll step in it trying to explain. On one hand this profession is underpaid/ economically challenging. There are a myriad of reasons why. I'm unsure folding it into public schools or throwing $$ at it will solve many of those issues. But it is a real problem.

OTOH- If you've spent 14 years at nonprofit that can't pay enough to get you off food stamps, that's kind of on you. Looking back at how our life has changed since I met my wife we've both gone back to school, taken new jobs that fit our needs (both financial and other) better, and made decisions that were not fun or easy but were for the long term betterment. When I leave this field it will be for a business I've spent years turning from a hobby into a potential career. That's on my wife & I and wouldn't expect it to be a concern for others.

I just don't know. I can see so many points from so many divergent angles. Not sure how I feel about it.



Yeah- because that person is a Senator just "to serve the people"
On one hand, I agree about not staying in a position that doesn't pay well enough to pay the bills. But I've also worked at places where I made a lot more money but was so unhappy that even though I make less here, the fact my soul isn't crushed each morning is worth it - to an extent. I'm blessed that I make a good living at this, and I've said before that if I couldn't I would need to make changes. But truthfully if push came to shove, it would be hard to leave something I love doing just for more money.
I hope this makes some sense
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NillaWafers 11:30 AM 07-20-2016
Originally Posted by hippiedaycaregal:
Honestly I see my daycare as supplemental income so I can stay home with my kids, if it was just me I couldn't afford to live on it unless I had 12 kids here every day and no sanity! Long term I'll be switching careers once kids are in school. Sadly well educated providers with quality programs are not paid what they're worth
This is pretty much me. If CA allowed legally unlicensed I would be, because I only take three kids beyond my own. My husband works full-time, there is no way I could provide for myself in LA with the income even a full daycare (12 kids) would make. Plus, it's so unreliable, I may go months without filling a spot and then be in a jam.

We are planning on moving to Idaho, and I hopefully won't have to do daycare there, but I will if it will make our lives more comfortable. Having a daycare has made it possible for us to save, pay off debt, and other things we wouldn't be able to do on a single income.

Politically, I am a libertarian and believe the government has too many hands in too many pockets, and should back out of private matters :-\
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Nurse Jackie 01:55 PM 07-20-2016
I am also in Ca and this is supplemental income for me too. If I didn't have my husband there is no way I would be able to afford to do this job, even if I were full. Plus the income is unreliable. I look at this job as a week to week paycheck.
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Annalee 04:15 PM 07-20-2016
The first 10 years of our marriage, my husband was the primary breadwinner. My husband carries the insurance now but after his job closed the doors 11 years ago, my child care business became the primary bread winner....life throws some curves....this job has been a life-saver.....even if I feel crazy to be sticking with it!
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Leigh 04:23 PM 07-20-2016
Originally Posted by Annalee:
I had a licensor years ago tell me child care was always last on the agenda for legislative issues....and by the time they got to child care no one had read or intended to read what was there.....leading to quick decisions with some things not being passed and some things being passed that were crazy.... I find this to be true because every legislator that has been shown the assessment book is stunned at what they see but the law has already passed and no one will touch it now!
I have a friend who is a legislator. I'd talked to him recently about my issues with my new food program rep (who claimed that "the law" said things that it did not). He was appalled by the amount of ridiculous regs on the books (and my state is better than most about having FEWER of those kinds of regs). He and I spoke about how much better spent this Social Services money could be spent rather than on new and more regs every year!
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