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Bureau of Early Childhood Education

T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood^® Wisconsin
Scholarship and Bonus Program

The Problem

Wisconsin, as well as most states, is experiencing a child care staffing crisis. The single most important determinant of child care quality is the presence of consistent, sensitive, well-trained and well compensated caregivers. Currently, low compensation, poor benefits and high turnover have led to a nationwide child care staffing crisis. Lack of resources, in conjunction with the need to maintain affordability for parents, make it difficult for individual child care programs to reward or encourage teacher education and pay more competitive salaries.

The Purpose

• To improve the quality of early childhood and school age care and education in child care centers and family child care homes.
• To create a model of partnership for improving the quality of Wisconsin child care programs.
• To promote professional development of the child care workforce by increasing educational levels, increasing compensation, decreasing staff turnover.

The Program

Scholarship

• The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood^® (Teacher Education and Compensation Helps) Wisconsin Scholarship and Bonus Program provides scholarships for early childhood and school age providers to attend technical or private colleges or universities to achieve a higher educational level, by completing a specific educational path.
• Each scholarship recipient receives a certain amount of money to help with the costs of college tuition, books and travel. With some scholarship models, recipients also receive paid release time.
• Scholarships are based on the principle of partnership between the participant, the sponsoring child care program and the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood^® Wisconsin Scholarship Program, all sharing in the cost.

Education

• Recipients complete anywhere from 3-9 credits in one year or 12-18 credits in two years, depending on the scholarship model and educational path they choose.

Compensation

• All scholarship recipients receive a salary increase through either a raise or bonus after completing a certain amount of coursework following the contract period.

Commitment

• Participants make a commitment to remain in the sponsoring child care program or the field for 6 months to one year beyond the contract period, depending on the scholarship model.

The Results

Increased Education

From August 1999 through September 2008, over 3,696 teachers, directors and family child care providers have made the commitment to further their education with a T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood^® Wisconsin Scholarship. The estimated number of children served in programs that have sponsored recipients to increase their educational level and thus, provide better care, is over 66,000.

Increased Compensation

In addition to money to help pay for tuition, books and travel (and paid release time in some programs), and depending on the scholarship program, recipients receive either:

• A raise (1.5% - 2%) from the sponsoring program plus additional bonus ($200-$400) from T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood^® Wisconsin, or
• A bonus ($150-$400) from the sponsoring program plus additional bonus ($200-$400) from T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood^® Wisconsin, or
• A bonus ($300-$500) from T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood^® Wisconsin.

Reduced Turnover

T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood^® Wisconsin has been in place in Wisconsin since 1999.  The overall turnover rate of the Wisconsin child care workforce is 40%. Turnover rate of T.E.A.C.H Scholarship recipients is 11%. Turnover rate of T.E.A.C.H scholarship recipients during their commitment year is less than 2%.

Contact T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® WISCONSIN for more information

T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Wisconsin
WECA
744 Williamson St. Suite 200
Madison, WI 53703

Local Phone: 608-240-9880, Extension 7240
Toll-free Phone: 800-783-9322, Extension 7240
Email: TEACH@wecanaeyc.org