[URBAN NOTE] "Why Are Wages for Toronto’s Early Childhood Educators So Low?"

[rfmcdonald]

Torontoist's Sarah Sahagian examines the reasons behind the poor wages of daycare workers in Toronto.

It's no secret that childcare costs have—and continue to—skyrocket in Toronto. These days, the median cost of childcare for an infant is now more than $1,700 per month, and that number seems to be growing steadily. In fact, Ontarians pay the most for childcare in the country.

But what of the people who provide the services? How much of that money gets passed onto them?

[. . .]

Early childhood educators, or ECEs, perform the work of childcare—from changing diapers to teaching toddlers how to share, and helping older children with their homework. The work can often be gruelling, with long hours and fussy kids to look after. And the wages of workers—who the Ontario Coalition for Better Childcare says are 97 per cent women—seldom make up for the amount of time, energy, and dedication they put into the job.

Both private and public sectors are rife with underpaid workers. Kristen Varley, a 2014 graduate of George Brown’s Early Childhood Development program, currently makes $18.50 an hour working at a public daycare facility. And Chanequa Cameron, who trained to become an ECE in 2006, makes just $16 at the private facility where she works.

Even worse, both Varley and Cameron are saddled with thousands of dollars of student debt from training to work in the childcare field. After completing undergraduate and graduate studies at Ryerson, Cameron’s debt load is approximately $70,000. Even though she has worked in the field for years, her earnings still cannot provide her with “a good quality of life.”