Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund: Information for Facility Leaders and Staff

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Click here for more information on the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund.

Click here for information related to previous fiscal years.

About the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund

The District values early childhood educators and wants their pay to reflect their hard work in support of young children and families.

The Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund supports child care providers to increase compensation for their staff. By participating in the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund, child care programs can offer competitive wages to recruit and retain qualified staff and support early childhood educators to build bigger, brighter futures.

To receive Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Funds, a child care provider must:

Operate a facility or facilities licensed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE);
Agree to pay eligible early childhood educators, by position and degree, salaries that meet or exceed the minimum salaries established by OSSE; and
Complete the application and agreement process designated by OSSE to participate in the program.

Child care providers who participate in the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund receive quarterly award payments calculated using a funding formula established by OSSE. Participating child care providers must pay eligible early childhood educators wages or salaries that meet or exceed the required minimum salaries, unless they have an approved waiver.

How to Participate

Interested child care providers may submit an application to participate in the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund by contacting [email protected].

A waiting list for the program is currently in effect. Child care providers who join the waiting list may be added to the program as spaces become available. The waiting list does not impact child care providers already participating in the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund.

Where to Get Support

For questions related to the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund, email [email protected].

Facility leaders can sign up for a 30-minute appointment with the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund team using this link. Virtual office hours are offered from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Wednesdays and 1-3 p.m. on Thursdays.

Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27)

Dates to Know

FY27 Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund Deadlines

Funding Formula

The child development facility (CDF) payroll funding formula details how OSSE determines the payment amount a child care provider that chooses to participate in the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund receives each quarter. The CDF payroll funding formula is available here (Español | Amharic).

Minimum Salaries

Child care providers that receive funds must ensure that all eligible early educators are paid wages or salaries, by role and credential, that meet or exceed the minimum salaries established by OSSE unless the provider has a waiver approved by OSSE. Child care providers are not prohibited from paying more than the minimum salaries.

The minimum salaries for FY27 are available here (Español | Amharic).