Child Care- Advocating wage issues for those who work with children...?

I am a 23 year old college student earning a degree in Child Dev. Administration hoping to one day open my own preschool. For one of my classes, I am currently researching Advocacy & the way in which it can affect current issues & policies of child care.

Having worked in many child care & education environments, I share the frustration with others in the issue of LOW wages of child care teachers & aids. People in this position often make only minimum wage & are expected to put in hours comparable to those of jobs which pay MUCH more...

Turnover rates in Child Care & Education Environments are not only high- they are growing...Teachers who love to teach children & aid in their education are growing more & more frustrated because they can barely afford to live on what they are paid...

As the popular saying goes, "Parents can't afford to pay, Teachers can't afford to stay...There's got to be a better way..."

What do you think can be done to help advocate for wage increases?

The advocacy I am specifically speaking about is that of teachers who teach pre-k children, etc.

More and more studies are showing that children develop better and are more successful later in school and eventually in life when they are included in a quality child care program environment before starting school...

THE OSTRICH HAS TO GET ITS HEAD OUT OF THE SAND: This problem has been with us long before I came on to the scene. I am 54, THE PROBLEM is the Educational system refuse to understand that their reason for being is to make a stronger society. Most time the system thinks that having GOOD STUDENTS (regardless of grade level) is why they are there.

The best students, and most well educated students are not the ones that make society strong. SOCIETY is strengthen by the effort of people raising to an occasion. One person can do one thing that results in others doing things that cause happenings that no one would of believed could take place, Our educational system needs to employ the system of building itself with each student that goes through its doors.

As things are now, WHAT DOES A STUDENT GIVE TO THE SCHOOL THAT TRAINED THEM? In my case the answer is nothing. If your case is different, let me know. The answer should be something other than NOTHING.

When the Educational System start working on this problem, the other problems will disappear. E-mail me, key on my icon, I have a thought to share with you.