On a 'Day Without Childcare,' providers call for higher pay and more subsidies

"In California, childcare workers, those who teach and care for the state's youngest residents, earn a median wage of less than $16 an hour. That's half as much as elementary and middle school teachers' median salaries, and $10 below the median wage for all workers in the state, according to the UC Berkeley's Center for the Study of Childcare Employment."

"Those low wages, for work that one advocate calls "the backbone of our country," are just one concern childcare providers and advocates called attention to during a " Day Without Childcare " on Monday, when some childcare providers chose to shut their doors and participate in a one-day strike. The group gathered in downtown Oakland Monday morning for the fifth annual day of action, with signs and chants about issues such as the low wages for caregivers and high costs for parents and providers."

""Childcare is collapsing," said Benu Chhabra, CEO of Benu's Preschool in Concord. "Parents can't afford it. Providers make really low wages even though we hold degrees in our field. We're struggling to find employees." Chhabra and others are calling for universal childcare, with more government investment so that every family has access to affordable childcare, Chhabra said."

"The demonstration took place at 1330 Broadway, in front of a building purchased by the private equity firm KKR in 2021, to highlight private equity's influence in the early childcare industry. The firm purchased the chain KinderCare in 1996 for half a billion dollars and sold it for twice that amount in 2005. Eight of 11 largest childcare providers in the U.S. are owned by private equity, according to The Economist."

Childcare workers in California earn a median wage below $16 an hour, far less than elementary and middle school teachers and below the statewide median wage for all workers. Providers and advocates held a one-day action in Oakland, with some closing their doors, to protest low caregiver pay and high costs for parents and providers. Benu Chhabra said childcare is collapsing because parents cannot afford it, providers earn very low wages despite holding degrees, and it is difficult to hire employees. Advocates called for universal childcare supported by increased government investment so every family can access affordable care. The event also targeted private equity influence, pointing to KKR’s purchase and later sale of KinderCare and noting that many of the largest childcare providers are owned by private equity.

Read at The Oaklandside