Wages are the top priority for people working in P.E.I.'s child care centers, but they will have to wait to see how the government intends to spend $2.5 million promised them in the budget.
In a media briefing in advance of his budget speech Friday, Finance Minister Wes Sheridan said the years from birth to age four are the most important in a child's development. The budget contained $2.5 million in new spending for early childhood education, but Sheridan said negotiations over how it would be spent were ongoing.
Jamie McQuaid is keen to hear where the money will go. She has worked as an early childhood educator for five years. She is now working at Parkdale-Sherwood Headstart, and makes the average wage in P.E.I. daycares, about $12 an hour.
"If you're in it for the money you're not in the right career," McQuaid told CBC News Monday.
"It's the love of teaching and learning along with the children every day that keeps me going."
McQuaid would like to be earning as much as her sister, who works in retail. (CBC)
While McQuaid recognizes there is no shortage of places the promised money could be spent, she said wages need to be the top priority.
"It'd be nice to start somewheres around $18 and then kind of work your way up," she said.
"My sister now works in retail and she makes more than I did, starting out, and she has benefits, and I don't have benefits."
Carol Ford, McQuaid's manager, agrees wages should be on the top of the list.
"My wages would be my first choice," said Ford.
"I would like the special needs grant amount to go up, and I would like a sustainable system, in order for wages to go up."
Even parents picking up their children at Headstart Monday agreed wages are too low.
"Nobody wants to go to work for barely minimum wage or just over it," said Kim Doyle.
"They need to have the money to keep them in the field."
While wages of are considered a priority even amongst parents, people with several pre-school-age children are also concerned about the cost, which at Headstart is $28 dollars a day per child.
"We have three small children, it's a lot of money to be out per day," said Lynn Smith
"I think if the money was given to the centre itself, then maybe the fees per day could decrease a little bit."
The provincial government is expected to make an announcement about how the money in the budget will be spent some time in the next week or two.
via www.cbc.ca
Leave a Reply