Government Raises Head Start Teacher Salary
Sunrise Children’s Foundation’s early Head Start program offers comprehensive child development and family support services to low-income and underserved populations, including expecting mothers, infants, toddlers, and their families. Head Start was created in the 1960s as part of the War on Poverty.
Recently, in an effort to retain current employees and attract new ones to the field, The Biden administration has hiked the pay for educators in the Early Childhood program.
There are different guidelines on whether the operator is a small or large company, small meaning those that serve fewer than 200 families. Still, those who serve more are required to put their employees on a path to earn what their counterparts in local school districts make by 2031. Smaller operators have to at least show they are making progress in raising the wages for their teachers.
Due to the low wages of Head Start teachers and supportive staff such as assistant teachers or classroom aides who make even less than teachers, there has been an increase in workers leaving the field to find jobs elsewhere — about one in five teachers as of 2022.
Because of limited staff, Head Start has had to close its doors to many families who need assistance, but programs require workers to fill classrooms. According to the Associated Press, “At one point, the federally funded program enrolled more than a million children and families. Now, programs only have about 650,000 slots.”
With limited workers, Head Start is unable to support families in need, many of which are children who are homeless or in foster programs. With this pay increase, it is hopeful that more individuals will enter the job market and seek careers within the Early Education program.
The Potential Impact
As of this moment, the decision is both good and bad. In time, hopefully, it will only be good.
While offering early educators higher pay is, of course, a good thing, “the proposed change would force Head Start programs to downsize permanently because they would not be able to afford as many teachers.” According to the Associated Press, this worries Head Start leaders.
Many leaders agree with increasing Head Start teacher salaries. Still, they worry that it will cost more money, and without additional funding, they will not be able to pay Head Start educators more without closing their doors to even more students, which is the downside to all of this.
All hope is not lost, though. Until there is a way to pay liveable wages to teachers while also funding the program to meet the needs of more families, other solutions have been proposed, such as:
- Urging school districts to direct more of the federal money they receive toward early learning, including Head Start
- Allowing Head Start to hire community college students who are working toward their associate degrees in child development
With these changes, more funding can be provided to Head Start, while also filling vacant positions.
Our early Head Start program is regarded nationally as one of the premier educational programs throughout the United States Western region, serving 270 children throughout the valley, and we do everything within our power to support our employees, including offering health insurance, PTO time, 401(k) with a match, and more.
Support and Resources
This change by the Biden Administration will hopefully influence the recruitment and retention of qualified Head Start teachers, allowing teachers to make a liveable wage and help open more spots for families in need.
Are you interested in pursuing a Head Start career in Nevada? Explore the job opportunities at Sunrise Children’s Foundation and how you can impact the field. Here are additional resources to help you understand the qualifications and tips for starting a Head Start job:
- Early Head Start program
- Qualifications for Head Start teachers
- Tips for starting a Head Start job
- Early Head Start jobs
- Additional Early Childhood Education resources
Apply Today for Head Start Positions With Sunrise Children’s Foundation
The most important takeaway is that we are striving to better the lives of everyone. As we help more Head Start teachers and support staff, we enrich the lives of the children they care for.
Once there is better job retention, we will be able to fill more spots and bring back more opportunities for families in need, helping better their lives and those of their children.
It is hopeful that Head Start programs will get additional federal funding in order to increase pay while keeping its doors open to students.
