Staffing, Ratios, Turnover, Oh My!
Early Childhood Programs often tell us that staffing is the most stressful part of the job. Right when everything’s going smoothly, a teacher might call in sick, need a day off, or get a new job and quit without notice. We’ve seen otherwise successful programs in the news shut their doors permanently due to understaffing.
Unforeseen staffing issues like this can put your program’s compliance, future, and the children’s safety at risk. State and local laws require a staff-to-child ratio, with little to no room for exceptions—and for good reason! Having the proper staff-to-child ratio is an important component to having a quality program where children can be safe, attended to, and cared for.
The median wage for childcare employees in Nebraska is $10.82 per hour. Factoring payroll taxes, insurance, and fees into that equation, one day of work for an employee making that amount is a little over $100. We are in the process of piloting a new program to match professionals who meet teacher requirements and want part time or on-call work with programs in our area who need a substitute teacher for the day. Gathering a database of interested individuals will take some time, and we want to make sure we’re balancing incentivizing participation with affordability for childcare centers and preschools.
We will work directly with licensing bodies after our market surveys are completed to make sure our pilot program will meet compliance across the board.