A report, Who will care?, launched at the Labour Party conference in Brighton this week, puts childcare among the lowest-paid jobs in Britain, with childcarers earning less than gardeners and cleaners. It says a day nursery manager earns an average of 13,000 to 14,000 a year, and a teacher working in a nursery class up to 18,000.
According to the report, a nursery nurse in a private day nursery could earn as little as 8,000 a year, while a nursery nurse in a school setting would earn between 10,000 and 13,000. A childminder would net about 5,000 a year, while playworkers in breakfast clubs, out-of-school clubs and holiday playschemes earn between 6 and 8 an hour for between ten and 20 hours a week, rising to 8 to 10 an hour for co-ordinators.
The report said, 'If we value our children and want the best for them, we must respect and value those who look after them. Valuing staff means investing in increased levels of pay, improved access to training and qualifications, and the opening up of career paths to enable the childcare workforce to provide the best-possible services for our children. It is vital to raise the status of the profession to attract and retain an experienced and dynamic childcare workforce.'
Dave Prentis, general secretary of public service union Unison, which sponsored the report, said, 'Educating and caring for young children is a demanding and specialised profession and should be valued as such. Childcare workers are important - their qualification and experience should be properly rewarded.'
The National Day Nurseries Association welcomed the report, but said it did not go far enough. Chief executive Rosemary Murphy said, 'All nursery owners want to pay their staff more, not only so that they can get the best staff possible but also so they can retain their staff. The question is, how can nursery owners pay more unless they charge parents more for childcare? Salaries will not rise to a decent level unless more money comes in to day nurseries from somewhere.
'By ignoring this question, this report implies that nursery owners are at fault for not paying staff more. There appears to be a failure to understand the link between salaries and the cost of childcare to parents.' Mrs Murphy said that since the minimum wage was introduced in April 1999, salaries in day nurseries had gone up 15 to 20 per cent, 'but they are still ridiculously low'. She added, 'It is unfair to say the maintained sector pays more compared with the private sector like for like, because the maintained sector does not have overheads such as business rates for its premises, nor does it have to work to a staff:child ratio of 1:8.' The Early Years National Training Organisation described the report as 'interesting and helpful'. Deputy chief executive Sue Owen said, 'It is undoubtedly true that pay and conditions account for some of the turnover in the workforce, but other issues need to be taken into account, such as an improved career structure and a clearer training and qualifications progression.'
