Partners for Children and Families announced on April 13 that, effective immediately, it will begin supplementing the wages of qualified early educators working in Moore County’s licensed child care facilities.
The new Child Care WAGE$® Program in Moore County will provide bonuses to teachers, directors, and family child care home providers. Eligible recipients will typically receive their payments in two installments, each after completing a full six-month period in the same child care program.
The WAGES® program was created in response to research1 showing that the quality of care is dependent on continuity and the education levels of child care workers. Lack of resources makes it difficult for individual child care programs to reward teachers through salaries. As a result, many teachers have left the field and many never consider child care as a professional option. WAGE$ is designed to provide pre-school children more stable relationships with better-qualified teachers.
Child care workers are welcome to contact Partners in regards to eligibility and the application process. Staff is available for questions at 910-949-4045. Information on the application process is also available on Partner’s website at pfcfmc.org.
According to Emily Jones, Associate Executive Director of Partners, “We are excited to offer the WAGE$ program in Moore County to help support those working in a field that is often undervalued and underpaid. We hope this incentive will encourage those working in early child care to continue doing this extremely important work, as well as supporting their continued education and improving stability in the early childhood workforce.”
According to Stuart Mills, Executive Director of Partners, “This program in Moore County is made possible by funds received from the State of North Carolina through its Smart Start program, and from private Moore County donors. We would like to thank the General Assembly and Governor Cooper for increasing Smart Start funding this year making possible this new program in Moore County.”
About Partners for Children and Families: For more than 25 years, Partners has operated as a private non-profit organization promoting early childhood development in Moore County. According to Mills, “we are doing everything in our power to help pay for child care for low income families, increase the quality of child care, provide nutritious food for children in child care and develop children’s literacy skills.” Programs sponsored by Partners include the Dolly Parton Imagination Library®, Motheread®, Reach Out and Read, Raising a Reader, GMR Summer Reading Stations, The Barbershop Literacy Initiative, NC PreK at the Moore County Schools and the Positive Parenting Program.
If you are passionate about our children’s collective futures and would like to volunteer at Partners, or donate, please visit Partners’ website at https://www.pfcfmc.org/ or call 910-949-4045.
Partners for Children and Families is a proud United Way of Moore County Community Partner.
Courtesy photo/Contributed.
