Facts In Action

In October 2000, the Massachusetts Office of Child Care Services released a report summarizing the results of a statewide salary and benefits survey of licensed group child care and school-age programs. The purpose of this survey was to collect information on salaries, benefits, and working conditions to provide an accurate picture of the child care workforce in Massachusetts to policy makers and others. Fifty-six percent of licensed group child care programs and 47% of licensed school-age programs responded to the survey. Some of the results from the group child care program surveys are summarized below.

The survey asked about starting salaries and highest hourly wages paid for group child care centers. The average ranges of starting salaries (per hour) by position are as follows:

The survey calculates the turnover rate in centers - that is, the percentage of providers who have left the program in the past 12 months. The percentage of full-time providers who left in the past 12 months by position are as follows:

Finally, the survey asked about a number of benefits including health care. Its findings include: the percentage of centers that do not provide health insurance, that make health insurance available but do not assist providers in paying for it, and that pay for their employees' health insurance either in part or in full. The table below summarizes the percentage of centers which offer health insurance benefits by position.

For more information:
about the Salary and Benefits Report, contact the Massachusetts Office of Child Care Services, One Ashburton Place, Boston, MA, 02108, or call (617) 626-2000.

Facts in Action, February 2001