A Good Majority of Indy’s Early Childhood Educators are not Making Sustainable Wage
Source: Photo: zGel/Getty Images
INDIANAPOLIS — A recent report shared at Tuesday’s Early Learning Advisory Committee (ELAC) meeting highlights a troubling issue for Indiana’s early childhood educators: 80% of them aren’t earning enough to support themselves. The report, from the group “Talent First,” reveals that over 38,000 early educators in the state fall below Indiana’s self-sufficiency standard for any adults, with their median wages ranking in the bottom 10% of all jobs.
“It’s sad because early learning supports the entire workforce,” said Jacqueline Strong, executive director for Little Duckling Early Learning Christian Academy. She added that post-pandemic changes have made staffing even harder for Indiana’s childcare industry.
Each year, Indiana leaves about 2,400 childcare jobs unfilled, according to ELAC. Strong pointed out that managing classrooms has become increasingly challenging, especially when many children require extra attention, such as those with developmental delays or behavioral issues.
A separate survey by “Child Trends,” also presented at the meeting, found that half of the state’s administrators struggled to find qualified applicants this past summer. Sara Amadon, a senior research scientist at Child Trends, said that many early childhood educators are leaving the field for better-paying jobs elsewhere.
To state the issue, the “Talent First” report suggests providing Indiana childcare workers with free childcare for their own kids but acknowledges that state funding would be necessary to make that happen.
“It’s really going to be hard to move the needle without any sort of public investment from the state level from the federal level, that the market is just fundamentally broken,” said Amadon.
