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January jobs report: Unemployment rate falls to 4%, wages rise more than forecast; Trump signs order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel; Ten Commandments in public schools debate reaches South Dakota; Virginia ranks among worst states for wage theft; Mexican long-nosed bat makes appearance in Arizona.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

Mississippi child care workers struggle with poverty wages

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Tuesday, November 12, 2024   

A new report showed child care workers across the nation, including in Mississippi, are struggling with poverty-level wages.

The report revealed the median wage nationally for early childhood educators is just $13.07 an hour.

Anna Powell, senior research and policy associate for the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of California-Berkeley, said the report found in the Magnolia State, the median wage for early childhood educators is less than $11 an hour.

"We estimate that the median hourly wage is about $10.62 for an early care and education worker in Mississippi," Powell explained. "That's compared to what we estimate the living wage to be, which is $14.49."

She added people who are working in the field are earning about 27% below what they would need to earn to afford a living wage. The study suggested boosting public funding for early childhood education, as the U.S. invests only $4,000 per child per child annually, far less than the $14,000 in other wealthy countries.

Powell noted the report highlighted key policies for supporting the early care and education workforce. One crucial aspect is improving compensation. She emphasized the importance of robust data and varied approaches for making informed policy decisions. Powell added it is not just about how much the state is investing in early care and education but the methods of distributing funds.

"One thing that many states are doing right now with the scarce resources available to them is thinking about that last piece," Powell stressed. "How can you spend smarter? That might look like trying to align payments for child care subsidies to the true cost of care, instead of a formula that a state may have used based on the current market rates."

The 2024 Early Childhood Workforce Index showed pay scales are insufficient for a single adult to earn a living wage in any state. Nearly half of child care workers rely on assistance programs, such as SNAP benefits and Medicaid, to survive.


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