The road to quality preschool may be paved with good intentions, but it is filled with dangerous potholes for those who want to teach young children and earn the wages worthy of their valuable work. The 2012 State Preschool Yearbook notes that between 2011 and 2012, 27 of the 40 states offering state-funded preschool reported reductions in funding per child, averaging $400 per student (Barnett et al. 2012).
Seeking better pay and status for those who care for young children challenges basic assumptions in our society about the importance of caregiving work, the role of mothers of young children in theworkforce, the role of government in the delivery of child care services, and the capacity of the private marketplace to address the broader public welfare. It requires a redistribution of social resources, upon which there are many claims. Change of this magnitude takes time, and progress will not be entirely linear. There will be missteps and setbacks along the way that can, and should, inform our efforts. But it is clear that policymakers are unlikely to earnestly address this urgent social need until there is a strong movement of their constituents demanding that they become involved.