Market place program

[Judy Trickett]

At any rate, the general view prescribed to us was that 'for profit is bad'. One should never make a profit off the backs of children.....yeah, that's ACTUALLY how it was worded! Of course, being a teenier bit more confrontational in my younger years, I had my hand up in a flash and said "Why not?" I thought they'd string me up right there. I explained that it's a business like any other. Why shouldn't we be compensated appropriately for providing a needed service and doing it well?

Yep, and no one would EVER ask a teacher to work for free or admonish them for wanting to be paid for what they do.

Daycare has always been looked down upon as "woman's work". Because women are the ones who birth children there is a societal stigma that we should just innately WANT to take care of everyone's child, view them as delightful, perfect cherubs, and never ask for a dime in compensation.

I can guarantee you that if daycare were a MAN'S business things would be different. Suddenly daycare would be an important business worth far more compensation. And what bothers me most about it is that it is all too often the WOMEN who look down upon us.

We do important work. I don't want any provider to ever forget that. All the research and experts go on and on about how the early years are THE MOST important of any years. But then they toss us a few buck, complain about that, but expect us to live up to all the research. Well, you can't have it both ways. Either good daycare is important or it's not. And if daycare and children are so important to be of a quality nature, in a quality environment then why isn't it fair to ask for appropriate compensation based on that environment offered?

I have a provider friend who has this awesome thing she says........."Quality daycare is not expensive - it's priceless".

Well, said.