Career Ladders for Childcare Workers Act
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE
This Act shall be called the “Career Ladder for Childcare Workers Act.”
SECTION 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE
(A) FINDINGS – The legislature finds that:
1. The most essential component of high-quality child care is the quality of the caregiver.
2. Because childcare workers are poorly paid, turnover is rampant, averaging 40 percent annually.
3. There is a strong need to foster and encourage the professionalization of child care.
(B) PURPOSE – This law is enacted to professionalize the childcare industry and encourage employee retention through wage subsidies for childcare workers.
SECTION 3. CAREER LADDERS FOR CHILDCARE WORKERS
After section XXX, the following new section XXX shall be inserted:
(A) DEFINITIONS – In this section:
1. “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Department of [Human Resources], or the Secretary’s designee(s).
2. “State” means the state or an agency of state government.
3. “Career ladder” means a wage classification system where wages increase by increments for the attainment of educational goals, and for years of experience as a childcare worker.
(B) CHILDCARE CAREER LADDERS FOR STATE CONTRACTORS
1. Any contract with the state that provides for childcare services must include a career ladder for childcare workers which meets or exceeds the minimum requirements established by the Secretary.
2. During the duration of a state contract, a state contractor shall pay to each childcare worker who is covered by the contract not less than the career ladder’s designated salary for a worker with that level of education and experience.
(C) CHILDCARE CAREER LADDERS FOR OTHER PROVIDERS
1. The Secretary shall establish and operate a professionalization and retention subsidy program to help pay the wages of certain childcare workers.
2. Childcare providers may apply for subsidies of up to $1 per hour per childcare worker if the provider agrees to pay wages to all its childcare workers not less than the career ladder’s designated salary for a worker with that level of education and experience.
3. The Secretary shall establish procedures to ensure that moneys provided under this section are not used to supplant existing wages.
(D) WAGE RATES AND ADMINISTRATION
1. The Secretary shall establish minimum requirements for a childcare worker career ladder. The initial wage rates shall be [adjust wages to fit the jurisdiction]:
2. On July 1 of each year, the Secretary shall adjust the wage rates in direct proportion to any increase in the Consumer Price Index for [insert region], as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor.
3. The Secretary shall promulgate regulations needed to administer and enforce this section.
(E) EXCEPTIONS
This section shall not apply to childcare workers who are covered by a bona fide collective bargaining agreement.
SECTION 4. APPROPRIATION
The sum of $XXXXX is appropriated for fiscal year 2006 from the general fund to implement section (2)(C) of this Act.
SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2005.