In 1989, Child Care Services Association, Child Care Resources Inc., and the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center partnered to conduct North Carolina’s first study of the early childhood workforce to better understand the various issues facing child care teachers, directors, and owners. Their study found that:
- On average, child care teachers made little more than minimum wage
- Few had any degrees beyond a high school diploma
- Child care centers did not provide funding or support for continuing education
- Turnover rates were almost 40% annually
In response to these findings, the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Scholarship Program was born. T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education And Compensation Helps) provides the early learning workforce with access to debt-free college education, better compensation, and job stability. The program is based upon the 5 C’s of T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Components:
- Comprehensive Scholarship
- College Education
- Compensation
- Commitment
- Counselor
The first state T.E.A.C.H. Licenses were awarded in 1996. T.E.A.C.H. came to Florida in 1998 with the Children’s Forum, Inc. as the authorized administrator.
Visit T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® National Center or check out their YouTube page to learn more about the program.
Not in Florida? You can also click here to view the list of T.E.A.C.H. state contacts.
Please contact us to learn more about T.E.A.C.H. Florida at 877-FL-TEACH (358-3224) or TeachQuestions@thechildrensforum.com
