Childcare workers earn less than pet sitters, driving 14.9% monthly turnover

The median hourly wage for childcare workers is $15.41 (May 2024 BLS data), and the lowest-paid segment -- teaching assistants and child care workers -- earn $11.81/hour median. This wage does not provide a living wage for a single adult plus one child in any U.S. state. Meanwhile, pet sitters on Rover average $15-$25/hour, and fast food workers in states with $15+ minimum wages earn more with less responsibility. So what? On average, 14.9% of childcare workers leave the occupation every month. In 2022, turnover in childcare was 65% higher than in a typical job. Roughly half of departing childcare workers exit the labor force entirely, citing inability to afford their own bills. So what? Children experience constant caregiver turnover during ages 0-5, the exact window when stable attachment relationships are most critical for brain development. A child might have 4-6 different 'primary caregivers' at their center in a single year. So what? Research consistently shows that caregiver instability in early childhood correlates with behavioral problems, insecure attachment, and reduced school readiness. So what? Society is systematically underpaying the people responsible for the most consequential period of human development, then wondering why outcomes are poor. The problem persists because childcare is a market where the consumers (parents) cannot afford to pay the true cost, the workers cannot afford to accept the current wage, and no third-party payer (government, employer) has stepped in at sufficient scale to bridge the gap. Childcare worker wages have risen only 4.6% inflation-adjusted recently, below the 4.9% national average.