Result highlights from WECA’s 2010 study of Wisconsin’s child care workforce are now available and reveal the progress and obstacles the profession is experiencing.

View the complete highlight brief here.

The 1,425 respondents included providers from group and family child care settings as well as center directors. Among many findings, survey results reveal a workforce whose educational level is as follows:

• 67% of center directors have a two-year associate’s degree or higher;
• 56% of group child care providers have a  two-year associate’s degree or higher and
• 34% of family child care providers have an associate’s degree or higher.

Because well-educated teachers are associated with greater cognitive and social gains in children this is important news.

More troubling are the reported wage levels that make child care one of the lowest-paid professions in the U.S. Whereas a kindergarten teacher earns $46,000 a year on average, a child care teacher with similar professional qualifications and job responsibilities earns $24,000 a year, on average.

Low wages and lack of benefits are the chief reasons for turnover in the field and the leading issues for providers when asked what they would change about their job. Ranking second was the opportunity to pursue professional development and education.

For more details and analysis see the full report here.