A group of early childhood educators organized the First Annual Walk for Children, which took place on Sunday, September 22, 2002 in Cambridge, MA. The goal of the walk was to raise awareness and inform the general public about the importance of quality early childhood care and education, as well as to let people know how they can help us work for high quality early education with a workforce that is adequately compensated!

We know that...

1. Children grow and thrive in the context of close and dependable relationships that provide love and nurturance, security, responsive interaction, and encouragement for exploration. --- National Academy of Sciences

2. The quality of childcare is a consistent predictor of children's cognitive and language performance. ---                             National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

3. Of the total amount of public funding dollars spent on children, less than 9% is spent on children under the age of 6.---                  RAND Study (Karoly, 1998)

4. 70% of Massachusetts children under the age of 5 live in families where both parents work.

PARENTS CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY

--In most states, parents pay more for child care than they do for public college tuition.

--Parents in Massachusetts pay more for child care than parents in any other state.

TEACHERS CAN'T AFFORD TO STAY

--In Boston, dog walkers earn more than child care professionals.

--Nationally, the average salary of teaching assistants in child care centers is $12,250.

--Teacher wages are directly related to the quality of child care that is provided.

--Most early childhood teachers cannot afford to put their own children in the programs they work in.

We must work together to find a better way!

The First Annual Walk for Children was developed was an action project of a MassLEAP class. (The Massachusetts Leadership Empowerment Action Project offers a college-level class designed to help educators learn the ins and outs of advocacy and how to effectively impact legislation for early childhood issues.) MassLEAP is designed to support and empower early childhood educators by helping them learn to advocate for themselves and the field of early childhood education. It also brings together educators who might not otherwise meet--outside of a classroom setting.

For more information, or help with the next walk, please call Kaori at 617-547-3432.

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