First Round of Early Educator Stipends Awarded
On February 10, the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA) distributed the first round of stipends through the Early Educator Wage Stipend Program, benefiting over 1,900 educators in Milwaukee. The goal of the program, which awards local child care workers with $1,500 over three installments, is to bolster the sector and increase retention within the struggling industry.
The investment was driven by the Milwaukee Succeeds-led Early Childhood Education (ECE) Coalition, who developed the proposal for the use of American Rescue Plan Act funding, then successfully advocated for it to the mayor and Common Council.
“I cannot think of a better use of our pandemic federal funding than putting it in the pockets of hardworking women in Milwaukee who take care of our children,” said lead sponsor Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic in an article published by Urban Milwaukee. “This investment is one huge step forward to stabilize our childcare sector and finally provide working mothers the support they need for them and their families to thrive. It’s one of my proudest moments in elected office.”
The Urban Milwaukee piece went on to provide data from Milwaukee Succeeds' research into the ECE sector, including the fact that early educators only make around $13/hour. The low pay and subsequent turnover not only make it difficult for children to form attachments during this critical period, but they also contribute to the lack of high-quality, affordable ECE in the city. In fact, according to our most recent State of ECE report, almost 5,000 children under the age of 6 in Milwaukee may not have access to child care.
Daria Hall, Milwaukee Succeeds' early childhood education director, added her voice to the Urban Milwaukee article to comment on the importance of such an investment.
“Early educators are the workforce behind the workforce," she said. "They allow parents of young children to go to work, and give children the foundation for success in school and beyond. The city’s investment in wage stipends will help build the stable, well-supported early education workforce that Milwaukee’s families deserve."
Despite the large number of recipients in the first round of stipends, there still remains work to be done to reach all eligible educators, particularly those at certified family providers, who have applied at a significantly lower rate. WECA plans to continue their outreach via emails, texts and phone calls in order to reach a wider swath of local educators and boost overall application rates. Another round of first-time checks will be distributed next month, and the additional installments will be sent at four- and eight-month intervals if applicants continue to meet the eligibility requirements.
Learn more about the program and eligibility requirements in English and Spanish.
