Early Educator Wage Stipend Launches in Milwaukee

On November 30, the Early Childhood Workforce Stipend Program was officially launched. The program, facilitated by the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association and made possible by City of Milwaukee American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, will provide eligible early educators with up to $1,500 over three installments.

(Read the full announcement, including eligibility requirements and application process, in English or in Spanish.)

This investment in the early childhood education (ECE) workforce represents an exciting win for the Milwaukee Succeeds-led MKE ECE Coalition, which successfully advocated for the ARPA funding last year. The primary goal of the stipends is to decrease teacher turnover rates, thereby providing children with more stable relationships with experienced educators. The Coalition-backed plan also included investments into MATC's ECE dual enrollment program, MKE Rising and Leading Men Fellows in order to strengthen and diversify pathways into the ECE workforce.

Early educators not only prepare the youngest learners for success in K12 and beyond, but they also allow parents of young children to participate in the workforce. Yet, according to Daria Hall, Milwaukee Succeeds' early education director and co-lead of the Coalition, most centers can only afford to pay teachers around $13 an hour. This low pay leads to a high rate of turnover for teachers in Milwaukee, almost all of whom are women and most of whom are Black and Brown.

"Due to a broken business model," said Hall, "early education programs can’t afford to pay these educators nearly what they deserve. This wage stipend is a step toward righting that wrong and ensuring a stable, well-compensated early education workforce."

Through the program, early educators employed at a licensed/certified group or family child care program in Milwaukee who have 3 months of current and continuous employment are eligible for the $1,500 stipend. Applicants will receive $500 after being found eligible, then another $500 after four and eight months if they continue to meet the requirements. By increasing early educators' wages and reducing turnover rates, the program will ultimately improve the quality of child care programs across Milwaukee.

"Congratulations to the early educators who shared their stories and expertise with Milwaukee policymakers and made this investment possible," said Hall.