Child care workers, among nation’s lowest paid, get support for raises

child-careKansas City supporters of a $15 an hour minimum wage on Tuesday pressed for extending it to child care workers.

People with Standup KC and Jobs for Justice, mothers and child care providers, spoke at a Midtown hearing with the Missouri Department of Social Services Children’s Division.

Hearings are being held statewide as the division considers its recommendations for how federal officials allocate funding for state child care programs.

People said more resources should go toward affordable child care and to support the higher minimum wage for workers.

Standup cites a new report from the Economic Policy Institute that said child care workers are among the lowest paid nationwide, with a median hourly age 39 percent lower than other workers.

Robert Minor of Jobs for Justice told state officials their concern is the quality of child care.

Much of that issue is related to the high turnover rate among those workers, he said. “We find that the reason for this is the wage level.”

He said officials should establish a child care panel that would advocate for the higher minimum wage.

Those who want to comment or provide input on the state division’s recommendations to federal officials can do so before Dec. 21 by emailing cd.AskECPS@dss.mo.gov.

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