The most important elements of high-quality early childhood education are the compensation, consistency, and education and training of child care teachers. Based on this knowledge, in 2005 the Legislature passed and the Governor signed into law House Bill 1636, the Early Childhood Education Career and Wage Ladder (the Wage Ladder).

The Legislature found that “low wages for child care workers create a barrier for individuals entering the profession, result in child care workers leaving the profession in order to earn a living wage in another profession, and make it difficult for child care workers to afford professional education and training.

As a result, the availability of quality child care in the state suffers.” The Wage Ladder remedied this social failure, improving the quality of child care by enabling early learning teachers to earn appropriate professional compensation, based on educational advancement and achievement, as well as experience and job responsibility.