Childcare workers along with parents are the foundation builders for a child's life. Although those teachers play a key role in a child's life by nurturing, caring, and teaching them; They are looked down upon. If there were no childcare workers, the working community as a whole would collapse. 

Society believes that childcare teachers are uneducated along with being “less” than doctors, police officers, and even grocery baggers when in reality, society wouldn't function without them. Many families rely on those teachers for care, ease, and often advice. 

Many look down upon early education childcare teachers because they view them as professional babysitters when in reality they are much more. In Wisconsin, each childcare teacher must meet the requirements of the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families which includes:

• Early Childhood Education one
• Early Childhood Education two
• Infants and Toddlers
• SIDS
• Child abuse and neglect
• CPR & First Aid
• Head trauma
• After initial certifications, 15 to 25 hours of continuing education per year is required by each state. 
• Full-time teachers who work 25 or more hours a week need to complete at least 25 hours of continuing professional education annually.
• Part-time teachers (20 or fewer hours a week) will need to take at least 15 hours of annual continuing professional education.

Childcare workers are struggling to make ends meet due to the low pay wages, many even have a second job in order to pay their bills every month. Those educators have to make the hard decision to leave and make more money somewhere else. It's a hard decision but most childcare workers decide to leave to work at Target or Panda Express where they will make at least $4 more than their crucial teaching position. 

If fast food jobs that consist of making cheeseburgers and fries or orange chicken have higher pay than early childhood educators that are setting future generations up for success, then there is something very wrong with current-day society. 

Childcare workers do not get the credit they deserve not only from parents but from the world. Daycare and preschool teachers don't just “babysit” your children all day while you're at work. They educate, teach, love, and more all while providing a stimulating and nurturing environment in which children need to learn and grow. Childcare workers need to be paid the salary they deserve along with receiving the credit and appreciation they deserve. Childcare workers are running on fumes by the end of the day due to what they deal with every day. Teachers are faced with watching 1-8 children by themselves all while keeping the children entertained and keeping their best interests in mind. By the end of each day, those teachers are exhausted and burnt out but they still return the next day. Teachers are passionate about their job, yet the majority of them are leaving to work in different positions, where the mental toll it has on them is lower and the pay is higher. 

If we don't want the working class to fall apart, then we need to increase childcare workers' wages along with delivering them with the respect and credit they deserve. If wages, respect, and high-stress working conditions don't improve there will be no childcare workers to care for and teach your children, resulting in almost 40.02% of adults in the United States being unable to work and modern-day society as you know it would fail. 

I am an early childhood educator at a daycare in the Milwaukee area. Due to still being a senior in high school, I will work anywhere from 4 to 12 hours a day, Monday through Friday. Even when only working 4 hours a day, it emotionally and physically drains me. I participate in the youth apprenticeship program at my school in order to get more hours at work so I can make up for the pay decrease I took when I applied and accepted my position. I was previously a sales associate at Carter's & Oshkosh B'gosh where I made more money selling children's clothes than I am now when I'm caring for and teaching them. I love my job and I  love working with children, it's what I'm passionate about. But it's hard not only for me but every other childcare worker too. We struggle to pay our bills, save money, and take care of our families all while trying to take care of ourselves mentally and physically. 

If you agree with increasing the pay for professional childcare workers to what they deserve, please consider signing or sharing this petition in hopes to help make a change to better the lives of childcare workers.