ERIC Number: ED673531
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Apr
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Wage Enhancements Support the Financial Well-Being and Mental Health of Early Childhood Educators: Educator Perspectives from Fall 2024 Surveys
Eve Mefferd; Justin B. Doromal; Heather Sandstrom; Erica Greenberg; Alicia González; Elli Nikolopoulos
Urban Institute
Since 2022, the District of Columbia has invested in the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund to achieve pay parity between early childhood educators and their K-12 counterparts. Research to date has shown that the fund has many benefits, such as increasing retention of qualified educators and improving the quality of care. Beginning in fiscal year (FY) 2024, the fund's structure changed from direct payments for eligible educators to funds distributed to participating child care employers according to a payroll funding formula. This summary highlights the reported benefits of the FY 2024 implementation of the fund for early educators' financial well-being and mental health. The authors present findings from a voluntary web survey of 1,525 early educators and 67 home-based child care providers conducted in September-October 2024. The survey data suggest the fund is working to alleviate high rates of food insecurity and symptoms of poor mental health among early educators and supports their well-being as intended.
Descriptors: Early Childhood Teachers, Early Childhood Education, Teacher Salaries, Child Caregivers, Resource Allocation, Well Being, Mental Health, Program Effectiveness, Hunger, Educational Equity (Finance), Wages
Urban Institute. 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037. Tel: 202-261-5687; Fax: 202-467-5775; Web site: http://www.urban.org
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Administration for Children and Families (ACF) (DHHS)
Authoring Institution: Urban Institute
Identifiers - Location: District of Columbia
Grant or Contract Numbers: 90YE0284
Author Affiliations: N/A