Day Care Council of New York and Bank Street College of Education’s Learning Starts at Birth team are excited to release our report, “Paths Forward to Salary Parity for New York: National Models for Equity in Early Childhood Education Compensation.” The teachers, staff and directors in New York’s community-based early childhood centers deserve salary parity with their counterparts in public schools. This report demonstrates ways that local and state governments around the country support salary parity for their early childhood education workforce!
Taking too long? Reload document“The Enduring Value of the Early Education Workforce,” a report produced and published jointly by the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus of the New York City Council and the Day Care Council of New York, makes the case for completing the unfinished work of salary parity for teachers, directors, and support staff in community-based child care centers (CBOs). This workforce, which is predominantly comprised of women of color, is underpaid; community-based early childhood professionals earn salaries significantly lower than their counterparts in public schools, despite their similar qualifications.
Upcoming collective bargaining negotiations offer the opportunity to achieve true parity and ensure that CBO workers obtain salaries, bonuses, and benefits commensurate with their training and years of experience. This report begins by discussing a letter presented to Mayor Eric Adams by the New York City Council’s Black, Latino and Asian Caucus (BLA Caucus). In this letter—and through subsequent actions from City Council members and Speaker Adrienne Adams—the BLA Caucus and allies in the City Council called upon City officials to achieve racial equity through pay parity for teachers, staff, and directors at CBOs.
Our report then cites a body of evidence demonstrating the measurably high quality of education offered at community-based organizations. We explain the current state of the system and close with a case-by-case demonstration of the stark salary differences between CBOs and NYCPS employees throughout the course of their respective careers.
Taking too long? Reload document“Caring During a Crisis: Lessons from the Implementation of CARES Child Care Funding in NYC”, authored by Samuel A. Stephens, an experienced early childhood researcher and evaluator, is the first study of the work done by New York City’s Child Care Resource and Referral Consortium members to provide child care to essential workers during the height of the pandemic.
The report provides data on how New York State and its partners distributed unprecedented federal funding to sustain child care programs in the first year of the COVID-19 crisis and provides a roadmap for how government and nonprofits can work together effectively during future crises.
“New York City’s Child Care Resource and Referral agencies dramatically expanded their services during the pandemic to meet the changing needs of families in New York City” said Tara Gardner, Executive Director of the Day Care Council of New York. “This report shows how New York State can work with the Child Care Resource and Referral agencies as the COVID-19 crisis continues to present new challenges to families and child care providers.”
During any crisis, it is critical that government and nonprofits work collaboratively to ensure that communities continue to have access to core services,” said Wayne Ho, President and CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council. “The work of New York City’s Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies helped essential workers access child care when it was hardest to find and continued to be critical for their families. This report shows ways that government and nonprofits can coordinate to meet the changing needs of New York’s children, families, and child care providers.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has destroyed industries around the world and highlighted the importance of the Child Care Resource and Referral agencies’ work to protect and support the essential work of child care and education providers throughout the State of New York”, said Ramon Peguero, President & CEO of the Committee for Hispanic Children & Families (CHCF). “We look forward to working collaboratively with the State to continue to strengthen the sector.”
“The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of accessible child care and its effect on the working population we have come to identify as “essential workers “, said Marcia Rowe-Riddick, Executive Director of the Child Development Support Corporation. “As the report shows, the Child Care Resource & Referral agencies (CCR&R) in collaboration with New York State were able to implement a process that aided in the emergency rollout of resources during our most challenging times. The CCR&Rs pivoted and addressed a need that helped to keep parents working, child care providers to stay open and provide the valuable service of Child Care, in a safe environment”.
Taking too long? Reload documentDay Care Council of New York is pleased to present “Supporting New York City’s Unsung Heroes: How the Next Mayor Can Prime the Early Childhood Workforce for Success”. Authored by DCCNY Director of Public Policy Gregory Brender with research support from independent consultant Kendra Hurley, “Supporting NYC’s Unsung Heroes” gives a demographic picture of New York City’s early childhood workforce and makes recommendations for how the City can support a stronger workforce to care for and educate the youngest New Yorkers.
“The next administration has a unique opportunity to ensure comprehensive salary parity is achieved for the early childhood workforce,” said Jennifer March, Executive Director of Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York. “The Day Care Council’s report reveals how critical this workforce – primarily composed of women and women of color – is to the healthy development of young children and to the lives of working parents and caregivers. The report also shines a bright light on the need to redress current and historical approaches to compensation that leave this critical workforce undervalued, underfunded and underpaid. We look forward to working with the Day Care Council, our Campaign for Children partners, and all incoming city leaders to advance these report recommendations as essential to the creation of a universal birth to five early care and education system.”
“The directors and assistant directors of community based early childhood programs are truly among our city’s unsung heroes. They helped keep our system running during the darkest days of the pandemic and will be just as critical as we begin our long recovery to address the impacts on our youngest learners. However, the incredible contributions and heroic efforts of these essential workers too often goes unrecognized.” said Rosemarie Sinclair, First Vice-President of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators “They deserve a path to pay parity with their counterparts who serve in school buildings, and CSA looks forward to working with Day Care Council of New York to fight for fair compensation for these early childhood educators.”
Taking too long? Reload documentWe are pleased to present our report Child Care in a Pandemic: What We Learned from Emergency Child Care Programs and How We Can Safely Reopen Our Early Education System. This report was written by Senior Research Analyst Mai Miksic with Kendra Hurley, a well-known research consultant. Our intent is to raise the voices of child care providers who are serving essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they have adjusted their work to ensure the safety of children.
This qualitative study examined 13 emergency child care programs (ECCs) including center-based and family child care providers on their day-to-day operations, covering such topics as drop-off and pick-up procedures, masks, playtime, food, and outdoor play. Based on these conversations, we have developed a set of key findings and recommendations on how New York City’s early education system can safely reopen. Most importantly, we want to share information on the hard work community-based child care programs have done and continue to contribute since the start of the pandemic.
Taking too long? Reload documentThe Day Care Council of New York’s salary parity estimate of $83 million has been presented to City officials, policymakers, and community advocates. Most recently, it has been included in the City Council’s Budget Response Report. City Council allocated $89 million for salary parity, which includes $83 million being reserved for salary parity for certified teachers and salary increases for directors. Read our comprehensive report for more details on our salary parity estimate.
Taking too long? Reload documentDay Care Council of New York Brief: Leave No Teacher Behind: How to Support Study Plan Teachers in Community-based Early Childhood Programs by Mai Miksic, Senior Research Analyst – November 2019
Day Care Council of New York Memorandum: Master’s in Early Childhood Education as a “Related Field” under Article 47.13(d) by Nilesh Patel, Director, DCCNY Labor Relations and Mediation Services – May 6, 2019
Day Care Council of New York Policy Brief: “The Voices of DCCNY’s Membership: A Briefing on the Critical Issues” – By Mai Miksic, Senior Research Analyst and Jennifer Meyer, Research Assistant – July 2018
New York Early Childhood Development Institute: “Stabilizing New York City’s Child Care Services” by Nilesh Patel, Director, DCCNY Labor Relations and Mediation Services – September 30, 2016
New York Nonprofit Press: “Child Care at the Crossroads” – by Andrea Anthony, Executive Director, DCCNY – March, 2007
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