The recent closing of ECEC, the Early Childhood Education Center, has hit our community hard. It is a symptom of a deeper issue: We cannot keep good teachers.
In the two years since we’ve moved here, my wife has been working in child care and my youngest daughter has been enrolled at her day care. We’ve seen constant turnover, and with the closure of a major day care, it’s just going to get worse both for the staff and parents. These professionals receive some of the lowest pay and worst benefits of any work, despite how important their work is.
Quality care means retaining quality teachers, and retaining quality teachers means providing fair compensation and benefits. Without this, our infants, toddlers and young children are placed in inconsistent environments with exhausted and overworked teachers. This is not a foundation for building a healthy community.
We, as a community, need to understand that this is not just a business issue, or an issue only for parents, but one that affects all of us. These children are going to grow up to be our neighbors, customers, workforce and leaders. If we want a better community, we need to focus on doing what it takes to retain these workers whose work is so vital. That starts with improving pay and working conditions for child-care workers.
Brian Connelly is a West Lafayette resident.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: West Lafayette letter writer says child-care teacher shortage affects all
Reporting by Virginia Black, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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