Raising Standards Across the Country
In Illinois, Washington, and Oregon, SEIU Kids First providers have won statewide agreements that increase public investment in early education and improve services for hundreds of thousands of children in four key areas.
Workforce development | Access to services
Healthy providers | Recruitment and retention
“…it is clear that this strategy is no flash in the pan…”
National Women’s Law Center, “Getting Organized” [PDF]
“Unionizing the home-based child care workforce could turn out to be a significant advance for the entire child care system.”
Workforce development
Illinois and Washington will begin tiered reimbursement for licensed providers based on a quality rating system. Providers will receive higher rates if they meet quality standards and get extra training. In Illinois, these increases apply to license-exempt providers as well.
In Washington, providers get paid time off for free training on licensing regulations and subsidy payments, and have access to funding for additional training. License-exempt providers can receive paid training and a $250 bonus if they choose to become licensed.
In Oregon, license-exempt providers receive a 7 percent increase for completing a training program they established to improve their skills.
Better services for kids and families
To relieve a shortage of care for infants, providers’ contract in Washington set reimbursement rates for infants at least 15 percent higher than toddler rates. Licensed providers in Washington also receive a bonus for providing child care during non-standard hours.
In Oregon, providers helped thousands more families afford quality child care—by raising the eligibility cutoff for child care assistance from 150 percent of the federal poverty level to 185 percent, and reducing parent copays by 20 percent.
Healthy providers, consistent care
To ensure consistent care for children and reliable services for working parents, the contracts with Illinois and Washington include affordable health insurance for thousands of providers. Comprehensive coverage will begin in 2008.
Improved recruitment and retention
Wage improvements help recruit and retain experienced early educators. In Illinois, reimbursement rates will increase an average of 35 percent over three years; in Washington, 10 percent for licensed providers and 7 percent for license-exempt care over two years. Oregon’s rates will increase an average of 18 percent in October 2007.
All agreements maintain higher rates for licensed care than for license-exempt, as an incentive for providers to become licensed.