SR1051 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1051 LRB101 20481 ECR 70248 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Research shows that early childhood teacher effectiveness is a predictor for positive developmental and academic outcomes for children; and

WHEREAS, Continuity in early relationships with teachers and caregivers results in safe, stable, and trusting environments that allow young children the opportunity to explore and learn; and

WHEREAS, The work of early childhood educators is sophisticated and central to the healthy learning and development of young children and takes place in a range of settings, including schools, community-based centers, and homes; and

WHEREAS, Early childhood educators include home visitors and Early Intervention professionals as well as educators in schools, child care centers, and family child care homes; and

WHEREAS, Research shows that having children see their own identities reflected in their teachers can improve students' perceptions of and actual performance in school, and that it is critical for early childhood programs to have educators that reflect the families and communities they serve; and

WHEREAS, Nearly half of all lead early childhood educators hold a bachelor's degree or higher, nearly three-quarters have secured an associate's degree or higher, many hold state-recognized credentials, all must fulfill scheduled training requirements, and many have years of experience in the field; and

WHEREAS, The early childhood workforce is almost exclusively female and more racially diverse than the K-12 workforce; and

WHEREAS, The current early childhood education system functions because early childhood professionals, particularly those working in community-based settings and those working with infants and toddlers, often forgo a living wage aligned to the sophistication of their work and level of education; and

WHEREAS, The early childhood workforce, particularly in community and home based settings, earns wages in the second percentile of annual earnings; many early childhood workers lack access to workplace benefits and must rely on public benefits to meet the needs of their own families; and

WHEREAS, These low wages have contributed to significant shortages in qualified staff in early childhood programs and will be a barrier to further expansion of services; and

WHEREAS, Adequate compensation is the foundation of a quality early childhood workforce; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the General Assembly to increase its investments in Early Childhood Education, the Child Care Assistance Program, Early Intervention, Healthy Families, and Parents Too Soon not only to expand access to high-quality services for children and families but also to enable Illinois to pay its early childhood workforce the wages needed to attract and retain qualified professionals; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the Illinois State Board of Education and the Department of Human Services to implement policies and strategies to ensure that any new funding is directed toward improving the compensation levels of early childhood professionals to reflect more closely other professions with similar qualifications and educational levels.