Key Variables to Consider for Getting a Child Care WAGE$® Program Started in Your State
Getting a Child Care WAGE$® Program started takes careful planning and consideration by a state’s early childhood community. Several things must take place for WAGE$ to be a viable compensation and retention strategy for a state.
One non-profit organization in each state is selected by the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® National Center (the Center) through a robust application process to implement the licensed, evidence-informed model.
For states that are exploring the possibility or are in the early stages of developing Child Care WAGE$® programs, the Center provides technical assistance and support to assist in the planning process, including hosting an initial meeting, designating an administrative home, becoming a licensed provider, finding and securing funding and developing supplement models.
For more information on bringing a WAGE$ Program to your state, please contact us.
“This program has been most beneficial to the overall attitude of our teachers and has offered great support to our center. Our center staff members are satisfied and content with their chance to advance in their educational and professional growth. They are interested in future opportunities to grow.”
Center Director
Support from the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® National Center for Launching and Maintaining a WAGE$ Program
Center staff works closely with all WAGE$ programs – providing training, technical assistance and support throughout the life of a WAGE$ License.
Center staff works closely with all WAGE$ Programs to help them:
- Understand funding sources used in other participating states to support the implementation and growth of WAGE$ in their state
- Develop operational policies and procedures that are consistent with the requirements of the Program License Agreement
- Develop salary supplement scales that address the needs of their state’s early childhood workforce
- Plan recruitment strategies to expand their participant base
- Collect, analyze and report results by furnishing administrators with a database designed specifically for the Child Care WAGE$® Program
Center staff also provides:
- Start-up and ongoing programmatic and database technical assistance and support
- Resources and materials related to program operations and emerging issues in the field
- An annual Early Childhood Education Workforce Convening
- An annual report highlighting the national outcomes for T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® and Child Care WAGE$®