By Libby Shortenhaus
“Childcare is an essential part of a strong and equitable economy, and I’m proud that Illinois is leading the nation in supporting families and providers.”
Governor JB Pritzker, September 13, 2021, press conference at Christopher House Stewart Campus announcing the roll-out of nation-leading early childhood education investments to support staff, parents, and providers.
Pritzker’s plan, which was announced at Christopher House alongside Illinois Department of Human Services Secretary Grace Hou, State Representative Eva Dina Delgado, and State Representative La Shawn Ford, will:
- Increase access to early childhood education for unemployed parents who were previously deemed ineligible for assistance;
- Invest an additional $300 million in providers across the state to hire and retain high-quality teachers and support staff; and
- Provide up to $1,000 to all early childhood employees through the new Child Care Workforce Bonus Program.
We applaud this initiative by the Governor, who has long championed and invested in early childhood education. In fact, more and more, our state and federal leaders are dedicating resources and efforts to passing legislation that increases access to affordable early childhood education and support to young children and their families.
Among the many issues and opportunities for change that the pandemic has brought to light, the impact on education and need for family support are among the most critical, and by extension, the need for highly qualified and passionate early childhood educators to guide our young learners and engage with and support their families.
Why is access so important for children and families?
Christopher House believes in a future where every child has an equal opportunity to learn, dream, and achieve. However, across the country and throughout Chicago, we know that children growing up in historically marginalized communities lack access to the resources needed to thrive. Access to affordable, high-quality early childhood education is necessary in the long-term to enrich the lives of children as they move through their continuum of education and pursue secondary education and career aspirations. In fact, research shows that children who receive a high-quality early childhood education are more likely to graduate high school, have a higher income as adults, and own a home.
Research also shows that early interventions have significantly higher returns than costly interventions later in life. For example, when a young child enters school kindergarten-ready, there is an 82 percent chance that they will master basic skills by age 11, compared with a 45 percent chance for children who are not school ready (research by J.B. Pritzker, Jeffrey Bradach, Katherine Kaufmann). And investment in high-quality early childhood education programs for children from birth to age five delivers a 7–10 percent annual return on investment through better education, health, social and economic outcomes, increased productivity, and the reduced need for social spending (Heckman).
Data such as these are informing Christopher House’s approach and driving the legislation that seeks to offer solutions and opportunities to families across the country.
Why is investment in educators and staff so critical?
While research indeed shows the immense importance of high-quality early learning opportunities, early childhood educators have long been undervalued and underpaid. In fact, a 2020 report from Education and Health and Human Services reveals that the average annual salary for early childhood educators is $28,570, and that in many states, these educators earn 50% less than kindergarten teachers.
We’ve long seen a disparity in the salaries of early childhood educators versus teachers in K-12 schools. We know that competitive salaries attract and retain the talent that will best provide young learners with the highest-quality early learning experience. Only with the warranted monetary support can Christopher House and other schools continue to maintain the standards of high-performing classrooms and educators’ accolades, ultimately leading early childhood education institutions to fulfill our missions.
Why are these initiatives so directly impactful for a school like Christopher House?
Qualified early childhood educators ensure that the earliest years of a child’s education – from birth through five – is the most formative and sets the foundation for future learning, from elementary school through adulthood. Christopher House’s early learning schools successfully provide the highest-quality of service to children because we are committed to employing the highest-quality of staff who receive continual professional development throughout the year.
This work is led by Karen Ross-Williams, Director of Early Childhood and Youth Development, who has nearly three decades of experience working in early childhood. Through her extensive experience and education, which includes a B.A. in Early Childhood Education, an M.A. in Early Childhood Administration and an M.A. in Human Performance Improvement Training and Development, Karen has established a highly qualified, diverse, and effective team that have a meaningful impact on the success of their scholars. Karen was a 2017 Barbara Bowman Leadership Fellow at the Erikson Institute, where she was also appointed to serve on the school’s Early Childhood Leadership Academy Advisory Board. Karen is also an adjunct faculty member in Truman College’s Early Childhood Education Department.
Karen is supported by Christopher House’s Associate Director of Early Childhood, Sarah Collentine, who brings more than a decade of experience working in early childhood. Sarah holds a M.A in Child Development as well as an infant-toddler specialist certificate from Erikson Institute, and a B.A. in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Sarah was a 2019 Barbara Bowman Leadership Fellow at the Erikson Institute.
This early learning leadership team has set the bar high for our educators. The Master Teachers in Christopher House’s classrooms teaching our littlest learners – from six weeks to age three – are required to have an Associate’s Degree, and most have a Bachelor’s. The Master Techers in our ages 3-5 classrooms are required to have a Bachelor’s Degree and a Professional Educator License. The success of holding our early childhood educators to these criteria are evident, as our schools are consistently granted among the highest recognitions available:
- Christopher House remains accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), which recognizes the highest quality education in early childhood programs across the United States and helps teachers and other staff at early learning programs develop a shared understanding and commitment to quality. Less than 10% of early childhood education schools across the country have received this prestigious accreditation.
- This summer, all early childhood classrooms received quarterly CLASS observations, the premier tool for assessing teacher-child interactions. Christopher House teachers continued to achieve and even exceed the expectations set by the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services in every category, including Emotional-Behavioral Supports, Engaged Support for Learning, Classroom Management, and Instructional Supports.
These results are simply meant to illustrate our shared goal of showing the immense value of making high-quality early education available and accessible to all families, while also attracting and fairly compensating teachers who are driven by these goals.
At Christopher House, we are committed to achieving measurable academic outcomes for scholars, from six weeks through the eighth grade, and providing differentiated learning and enrichment opportunities to support each scholar’s individual needs. And while the pandemic is certainly shining a spotlight on the resources needed to address these issues, we know that real support for early childhood educators, staff and centers can achieve so much when their impact is also recognized and supported on a large scale.
As I shared during my remarks during Governor Pritzker’s press event, access to early childhood education has the power to change the future of our city and state. At Christopher House, we know that our children’s learning needs to start early, and parents need to be back at work. The plans the Governor outlined will make sure that’s possible and we’re grateful to be a partner in this work.
