D.C. just made day care even MORE expensive

D.C.'s new degree requirements could lead to job losses, increased operating costs, and higher tuition.
reason.com/video/2024/05/14/a...
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Average toddler day care costs in Washington, D.C., exceed $24,000 a year, outstripping expenses in cities like New York and San Francisco. Despite the steep prices, parents such as Megan McCune and Tom Shonosky, who live in a suburban D.C. neighborhood with their children John and Lizzy, believe day care is still worth it.
"They're doing these amazing activities with kids. John's last teacher was planning just all these really stimulating, exciting experiences," McCune says. "That's just not something that we can feasibly do and also have full-time jobs."
But day care might soon become a luxury the couple can no longer afford. In 2016, a regulation was passed mandating that day care workers obtain a college degree. The city's logic is straightforward: If D.C.'s day care staff had college degrees, they could do a better job helping disadvantaged kids climb out of poverty.
"The developmental opportunities and those early opportunities that they have really set the foundation for their potential success long term," explained local education official Elizabeth Groginsky, a proponent of the regulation. After a delay, the rule was finally implemented in December 2023.
Yet contrary to its intended benefits, this regulation could lead to job losses among day care workers, increased operating costs for day cares, and higher tuition for parents.
Ami Bawa, lead teacher and assistant director at a nursery school in northwest D.C., exemplifies the unintended consequences of the regulation. Although she has been working in the field for over 20 years, Bawa may now be forced out of her job. "Even though I have a lot of experiential learning, I don't meet what is now the current standard," she explains.
As a veteran teacher, Bawa is technically eligible to apply for a waiver to continue working, but she's been waiting for five months for a response from the city. "All of these roadblocks make it harder. We're going to lose a lot of really good teachers," Bawa says.
Proponents argue that the regulation will earn teachers more respect and higher salaries. But Bawa disagrees: "A profession like teaching specifically has to be one where you really care for and love what you're doing. What your education credential is doesn't equate to loving and being committed to the field."
Yet the effectiveness of college requirements remains a subject of debate. As Robert Pianta, a professor of early childhood education at the University of Virginia, points out, "The evidence for a two-year degree or a four-year degree is not strong."
There are over 3,000 early childhood degree programs across the United States, and they vary significantly in terms of what they teach and focus on. "With all that variation under there, it's no surprise to anyone that the degree itself doesn't matter," Pianta says.
Many day care teachers eager to retain their jobs have enrolled part-time at institutions such as Trinity Washington University, a small college in the district. To earn the degree required to be an assistant teacher at a D.C. day care, students at Trinity can take classes like American history and music appreciation but aren't required to take courses in early education.
Councilmember Christina Henderson supports the idea that day care workers study subjects unrelated to early education, emphasizing the importance of "critical thinking and learning." In contrast, McCune remarks, "Let's just back up a little and remember that these are babies….I think the needs of children at that stage, they're pretty primal."
Nicole Page, a local preschool director, believes that "it does not only take education, it takes experience" to work at a day care. "That's what we will lose if we are not able to retain our staff, is the wealth of knowledge that they have by hands-on experience."
Her preschool is at risk of losing valuable staff, with at least 11 teachers failing to meet the new qualifications. One teacher even has a Ph.D. in family and children studies and is an adjunct professor teaching a policy and advocacy course for early childhood education at a local university, but she's no longer qualified to teach at a day care because her degree isn't in early childhood education.
"If we are not able to retain the staff that we have, we may end up having to close some of our classrooms," Page explains.
This regulation, intended to improve child care quality, may instead harm those it aims to assist. "I just think in D.C., there's a lot of bureaucracy," says Shonosky. "This is just another case where bureaucracy is going to make our lives worse."

[@walterwang2011]

Imagine they require a college degree to become a parent.

[@sanniepstein4835]

If they could, they certainly would.

[@Chris-Data_Analyst]

Honestly it would improve the lives of children if they at least had something more to educate parents before they had children. Pro-life people hate children and women.

[@TickedOffPriest]

Do not give them any ideas.

[@TickedOffPriest]

@@TC-zf1ji That sounds like a very slippery slope. Especially since there are multiple tests that can give different results.

[@TickedOffPriest]

@@TC-zf1ji If you do not think that you have the intellience, make that decision for yourself. Even if the welfare state (that should not exist) is not abolished, it is still none of your business.

[@dkchen]

loL... such a snobby regulation. "College educated people are better" is basically what they're saying.

[@MakerBees333]

It is way more about indoctrination at a younger age and getting people with useless DEI degrees jobs.

[@scott5088]

It’s more of government and education industry implicitly putting anyone who didn’t go to college is lesser. Dumb thought process.

[@andybrice2711]

It's utterly insane. So someone with a degree in electrical engineering is inherently more qualified to care for children, but someone who has worked many years as a nanny or a parent themselves isn't? It makes absolutely no sense.

[@JoeyRiz]

It’s not that they are smarter… it’s just they have something to lose if they abuse a child

[@drumyogi9281]

It’s better for them since you owe them money.

[@j29maniac]

Raise the cost of day care by requiring day care workers to have a college diploma so they can help poor children learn more. Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?

[@charles47t]

How can they help poor children when the parents of the poor children can't possibly afford the exorbitant cost of day care.

[@mustang607]

Too many of these growing "unintended consequences" seem to be intended toward some long term strategy.

[@aaronkcmo]

Turns out many day care providers lacked this new requirement and were forced out of business by the new law. The resulting drop in supply meant large price increases from a reduced number of providers. Not "smart" indeed.

[@MrMcgooOG]

What could go wrong. The teachers are college educated.

[@aaronkcmo]

@@MrMcgooOG it's not like they've been grooming our kids for sexual perversion and pedophilia... oh wait...

[@jongreen9250]

The pay will remain the same with a degree required.

[@captain_context9991]

You wont get it at all without a degree. As it should be. It should be hard to get ANY job without even basic education.

[@davidlewis717]

@@captain_context9991 Everyone does not need a degree. In fact most jobs in America do not need a degree. So you think it should be hard for a Farmer worker to get a job without "basic education", I assume you mean college degree.

[@captain_context9991]

@@davidlewis717 Guess what.... Over in very, very civilized Europe, even a farmer has an education. Because why wouldnt you.

[@davidlewis717]

@@captain_context9991 Wow your education certainly paid off. I did not say Farmer. I said Farm worker. There's a big difference in planting and managing a Farm and picking apples off a tree in an orchard. In fact in Ca you can pay money and pick your own food off trees. Don't need any education to grab a bucket or a bag and pick fruit. How civilized is that? UC Davis is ranked # 2 in agriculture in the world. Guess what you don't see at UC Davis, apple pickers enrolled there. However you will see Farmers. FFA-Future Farmers of America. That's very very civilized! Does Europe have a similar program?

[@captain_context9991]

@@davidlewis717 Does Europe have a similar program.... To what. Paying to pick your own fruits from trees? What a very specific thing. I left for Europe to get a proper education in a country where Marxism, embryology and evolution isnt removed from education for being considered "controversial" People showing up to school board meetings with lawyers to sue over the contents of... Books. The US is extremely hostile to expertise, intellect, education, and professionalism. Which is evident in so many ways. This whole week has been full of mass arrests of students. For having the wrong opinions. Where else do you see that stuff. Just saying. Even a farm requires expertise and intellect to do things properly.

[@janblackman6204]

This is garbage. You don’t need a degree to be kind to children

[@captain_context9991]

Dude, youre gonna need to get someone a step above the bewildered flagwaving masses. Someone who can be responsible. Being educated isnt just about that amazing dream job at the end of it... Which often doesnt happen... Its just as much about living a life free of weird beliefs, extreme conspiracies, and wild misconceptions which is so common in American minds. And its amazing how hostile yall are to even basic education.

[@DanTheCox]

Entry barriers serve 2 purposes: they keep any newcomers from getting on the market so the market is locked in a defacto monopoly, and it increases the cost paid by the customers who have no choices.

[@jonathanjones3126]

​@captain_context9991 the only thing you truly need to work in a daycare beyond better pay is the right personality, no amount of education can change a person's education. Most people cannot afford daycare as it is, the more you pay the workers the higher the costs are for the parents.

[@emperorpicard4901]

@@captain_context9991 A college degree is not "basic education". And we are not hostile to education, we are hostile to indoctrination, which a lot of education nowadays is, and that is the reason for this degree requirement, socialists have already captured the education industry and a churning out an army of indoctrinated people such as yourself, now they are after control of the nursing industry, the best time to start indoctrination, with babies.

[@crissd8283]

The government wants to license everything so they control everything. Why do you need permission (a license) from the government to cut hair, be a taxi driver, be a tour guide?? The government loves control. They don't solve problems, they use problems to justify more power and control.

[@mindyobeeznis]

As a former teacher, education degrees are a joke. 🙄

[@seaofglass77]

Ditto. All I got out of my education classes was how to control and abuse kids;ignore their individuality. The music classes were useful. All I do is pass that on at an age appropriate level, which you learn VERY quickly just working with kids. Who's funding this, local universities?

[@WPFD451]

Many, if not most, degrees are.

[@mindyobeeznis]

@@WPFD451 and education degrees make the rest look rigorous

[@danaaronmusic]

Having obtained two teaching certificates in the past, I remember the feeling of almost literally having to prove to them that I was an idiot before they would give me the credential.

[@andrewcopple7075]

Agreed.

[@gorequillnachovidal]

imagine if you had to take an IQ test to become a politician at any level

[@Chris-Data_Analyst]

Or to have a baby? More requirements to get a license to drive!

[@k.chriscaldwell4141]

Most psychopaths are very intelligent.

[@gorequillnachovidal]

@@k.chriscaldwell4141 such as?

[@Darrylizer1]

That would be a very good thing.

[@ladybug3380]

@@Chris-Data_Analyst an IQ test is needed in order to reproduce I agree with this.

[@erikkovacs3097]

Imagine requiring a degree for a thing that is literally encoded into our DNA. Taking care of offspring.

[@captain_context9991]

Yeah, but youre gonna have to get people that are a step above the bewildered flagwaving masses. Someone who can be responsible.

[@erikkovacs3097]

@@captain_context9991 What's wrong with hiring irresponsible people?

[@DavidPimentel]

@@erikkovacs3097 Nothing if that is what is desired.

[@captain_context9991]

@@erikkovacs3097 Well. I would never hire anyone that is not educated. Its not just about getting that "dream job" at the end of it. Its also about living a life free of weird beliefs, extremism and conspiracies. Which is a real problem in the US.

[@TheAlwaysPrepared]

Yeah, cause your DNA tells you that lose lines on childrens clothing in combination with basic urban playgrounds produce spectacular, sometimes fatal, accidents. On a surprising regular basis ;) Just an example.

[@woodchuck003]

It's also important to note that early childhood degrees are one of the degrees that loses you money. On average high school graduates have a high year earning potential than somebody with a degree in early childhood education. I think this requirement has more to do with getting cult members to indoctrinate babies.

[@anonymous01792]

As a former teacher who left primarily because of low pay in a state that requires a BA in education before you can teach I can tell you having a bachelors doesn’t help your teacher salary, that is a bold faced lie

[@RetJim]

Dont we have a teacher shortage... wouldn't this just make the problem worse ?

[@Thezors]

Ironically, I can assure you we have teachers without degrees in multiple states. They’re not telling the parents or the public on purpose.

[@Dragon-cd5uc]

Lay off half the DC government employees and contractors, the government shrinks, saving taxpayer money, the DC employees have to move to get more productive jobs, and the daycare costs will shrink. Problem solved!

[@watchdealer11]

Half? We could do away with 97% without most Americans being affected after a few years of adjustment.

[@MamaMOB]

Dc isn't meant to have people living there. It's not a state for a reason. It doesn't have a government for a reason. People are only supposed to go their work and leave. At some point throughout American history we forgot that.

[@MrsMathews]

We need to be focusing on making it more favorable for families to survive on one income. People should feel like they are able to raise their own babies.

[@zacharystotz2350]

Are you kidding me, a college degree to watch my kid! I guess my mom, grandma and any other family member can’t watch my kid then. What a joke of a city!

[@MrMcgooOG]

Maybe defund the govt.

[@modernhalowars]

“Why does the birth rate in America keep dropping!”

[@WilcoxNotreallythere]

Expensive costs of living. Worse than ever now.

[@andybrice2711]

"Why aren't mothers returning to the workforce?!" "Why are women earning less than men?!"

[@piouswhale]

Idiocracy

[@elaishh3533]

I don’t know but President Camacho will save us.

[@Wosat]

This is not about improving early childhood education. It's about ensuring that those who spend the most time with preschool age children have passed through a "progressive" indoctrination center and paid their "progressive" indoctrination tax. It would not have been proposed if leftists hadn't captured the academy.

[@watchdealer11]

Yes

[@JohnKerbaugh]

Also props up wages for university degrees.

[@wheel-man5319]

Exactly 💯

[@Individual_Lives_Matter]

Precisely. Most teacher’s colleges use the “critical pedagogy” framework, which is all about creating new little acolytes for their “social justice” revolution.

[@alexanderdinkov8002]

It's simpler, actually. Who votes for these politicians? Young college graduates who can't get a proper job, because they studied some BS stuff, instead of STEM. But if the politicians make it so that the competition on the job market is restricted, then a lot of these college graduates will have an easier time getting a job. In other words - screwing off the older generation of daycare workers, so that the younger generation (who happen to be their voters) can replace them. In other words - it's not so much about indoctrination, as much as simply taking care of their voters. The indoctrination thing doesn't even work in the first place. Kids today are rejecting that narrative even harder than the boomers are rejecting it.

[@boicers]

My wife is a Para Educator. She has a two year general degree. She got into the job because she loves working with kids. She has worked with special needs children for the last five years. She is a true professional who is well respected by her supervisors and peers. If such a law was passed where we live she would be out of a job. A degree does not guarantee a good quality of employee. Passion and experience doesn't either but it is worth far more. This is blatant credentialism at it's worst. Not to mention a gift to early childhood degree programs. Funny how that works.

[@MamaMOB]

Your wife has a college degree. She would be fine. You have to have a college degree. Any college degree. Your wife has a 2-year college degree. You are wrong about whether or not she would lose her job because of this law.

[@KJ-nv9uz]

​@@MamaMOBwhy would ANY college degree benefit childcare development?

[@John-thinks]

How dumb can these bureaucrats get. Really, honestly. It's basic common sense that a policy like this will increase costs of childcare, leading impoverished people to NOT HAVE ACCESS AT ALL.

[@Individual_Lives_Matter]

They’ll just pull more tax money from the productive people.

[@christinebutler7630]

Do we require a degree to be a parent? No? Then this is absurd.

[@andybrice2711]

Don't give them ideas.

[@Individual_Lives_Matter]

It’s not about the degree; it’s about getting them onboard with spreading the “good word” of the “progressive” faith system.

[@antinatalistwitch111]

Procreation needs to be regulated. Emotional intelligence, patience, kindness & more. ​@@andybrice2711

[@gorilladisco9108]

Yeah dude, as @andybrice2711 said, don't give them ideas.

[@briannabenson4173]

The primary need of children in the first 3 years of life is bonding with their primary caregiver🧑‍🍼 When children can’t develop that sort of stable attachment, it causes a host of mental & emotional problems.

[@phantomblacklove]

Exactly, more mothers should watch their own children . Children that young aren’t capable of critical thinking

[@Liz-wz8dh]

Exactly. It's ironic that that point isn't being addressed. I suppose the logical answer would be paying parents to stay home and take good care of their kids though and no state is going to do that.

[@Pocket_Fox]

And yet half the country thinks we need MORE government in our lives. 😂

[@MamaMOB]

According to Democrats children don't belong to their parents they belong to everyone! Parents don't have a right to decide what their children should and should not be learning that should be up to Democrats.

[@seananderson5334]

Child care doesn't require a nonsense college degree. So ridiculous.

[@elmobolan4274]

No, it requires a stay at hm parent because they chose to bring this child into this horrible world...

[@jaygupta2875]

Anyone who has had to either send their kids to daycare or hire a nanny knows that personality matters much more than formal education. Although kids are hope, beauty and love, it can be really frustrating taking care of them and some people just have temperaments more suited to the task. This DC law seeks to improve childcare by making a requirement unrelated to the most important qualification.

[@Individual_Lives_Matter]

That’s an excellent point. If anything, the kind of education they receive would lead to a sort of bitterness that comes with the woke worldview

[@TimGautier]

"It's also about critical thinking and learning..." I went to a university, I've taught at a university, I've worked with PhD professors on their sabbaticals, but I haven't seen any indication critical thinking is high on the priority list at universities.

[@Individual_Lives_Matter]

Exactly. Universities have been full of unscientific dogma since at least 2012. The rise of intersectionality was a bane to critical thinking, skepticism and free inquiry. I’ve known a few professors who didn’t join the cult but they were known outliers.

[@phantomblacklove]

Children that Young aren’t even capable of a critical thinking

[@antiquesewist423]

Wtf? For $24k per child, you could easily find a dedicated babysitter. I think someone can watch up to 4 kids before they need a daycare license. At those prices, I would absolutely watch 3-4 kids full time. Sign me up!

[@user-fe5ns7ts6v]

Once a regulation is in place, it's near impossible to abolish no matter its ineffectiveness.

[@chlordk]

My wife have been homeschooling width 4 kids for 15 years now. We live in the rural area which is less expensive and I work remote. It's great how we all can choose how to live.

[@edwardseaton4492]

Oh the joys of unintended consequences. They're so smart they couldn't see this coming?? I'd call it unbelievable but, sadly, it's 100% believable.

[@mustang607]

Too many of these growing "unintended consequences" seem to be intended toward some long term strategy.

[@WPFD451]

Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions! What could possibly go wrong?

[@visitante-pc5zc]

@mustang607 implementation of socialism without revolution

[@MamaMOB]

Do you actually think this was unintended? These people aren't stupid. They know exactly what they're doing. This was the intent the entire time.

[@MamaMOB]

​@@visitante-pc5zcyou know socialism doesn't work even with revolution right? Just ask Cuba! Or Venezuela. Or North Korea or China. Revolution doesn't make something okay.

[@paquitoignacio3449]

The money I paid for my children in the daycare center, I could buy another house.

[@MultiAnne36]

Daycare workers get paid minimum wage. I just saw an add on indeed for a preschool helper for $12/hr. Our Government keeps turning entry level jobs into certified professions but the pay level will not reflect that. Daycare is important but it's baby sitting. I was doing that when I was 12. Most important is just having a safe/caring environment.

[@shrimuyopa8117]

There are numerous engineering fields where there isn't a government requirement for a degree. I know engineers in the oil industry without degrees. They make GRRAT money too, because they are highly EXPERIENCED. Experience and conpetency is key, not a degree.

[@jonathanjones3126]

Education can only give you entry level knowledge for a given job. You can usually get the same info and skills learning on the job apprentice style

[@smoothbraindetainer]

Those are not engineers. To be called an engineer it's a legal requirement you must have a degree. Technician, analyst, call them whatever you want, but not an engineer.

[@shrimuyopa8117]

@@smoothbraindetainer Can you site what law that is? Because I literally know people who are engineers who do not have a degree in anything.

[@smoothbraindetainer]

@@shrimuyopa8117 to conduct engineering services in the USA, you need a license (PE) from the national society of professional engineers. Similar designations exist in most countries including Canada (P.Eng). KZbin blocks links, but the NSPE website will answer all of your questions. It's just like any other regulated profession. You can't practice medicine without a degree, you can't practice law without passing the bar, why should you be able to design and validate safety critical systems without one?

[@bobthemagicmoose]

This also excludes non professional teachers from the market: for example, a retiree that loves children and wants to help the local community or church by being with kids a free hours a week. Do I have to have a degree to raise my children?

[@antoniobabb1938]

Also Government: “Why aren’t people having kids anymore?”

[@bebespeaks7827]

Why did these parents get the spotlight instead f working-class minimum wage parents? These ppl work from home with fancy gvmnt jobs online. They can easily afford daycare, a house with mortgage, 2 cars, etc. Theyre well-off.

[@WeekzGod]

Education inflation is getting out of hand. Occupational licensing is getting out of hand.

[@rayzerot]

Yes and yes. It's so bad that you genuinely need to have a college degree to rent out cars

[@rsimpson69]

The council woman who can't think critically enough to see the harm in this policy wants to force others to take classes that also won't teach critical thinking, but she thinks they might.

[@Dee-ye2dk]

As someone who worked in foster care management. Managing or taking care of children doesn’t need a degree. It does need specialized training like child CPR, child nutrition, and basic understanding of child development. If we’re including degrees you’re only raising the cost of care.

[@VapeCatOriginal]

Imagine spending thousands in debt to watch toddlers throw tamtrums

[@garypatton3637]

The government decided they dont want me to have children. so Thanks to high taxes and cost of living I'm the last taxable generation..

[@cc_tw]

Since when did college teach people how to raise a child? If they're going to make such a requirement, it should be a childcare certification that focuses on first aid and understanding what kids/babies need.

[@calebfielding6352]

My sister in law had to get a masters degree to teach first grade. I asked why you needed a masters degree for something lara ingles did better with an eighth grade education.

[@paulromano3566]

Wtf I just wanted to get my kid back in one piece at the end of the day

[@vivalaleta]

Ridiculous. Do parents require a college degree to be allowed to raise a child?

[@jarradchapman4271]

Why not look for ways where single-income households can become an economically viable choice instead of having dual incomes being almost a de facto requirement to own a home.

[@nolanglahn8528]

No, it's not worth it. They don't even get to raise their kids.

[@ritzrn630]

Artists , talented in music/ musical instruments and those who have passion with kids are the best people in this kind of field.

[@Rich32262]

How did civilization ever make it to where we are now without these daycare requirements. Good grief!

[@jmccoomber1659]

It's so sad that basically no American parents are able to raise their own children because they have to work 70 hours a week to afford having kids. I don't understand why people have children if they're just going to hand them off to others to raise while they work their fingers to the bone to afford to keep a decent roof over their heads. They want kids so badly that they have several even though they're not going to be able to commit the time to raise their kids themselves. It seems selfish to me; that's one of the reasons I decided not to have any children It really is impossible to have everything: a job you love while at the same time raising young children. Parents need to make raising and spending tons of time with their children their top priority or they shouldn't bring them into the world; there are already too many people on the planet, we don't need more kids raised by daycare workers and school teachers!

[@Individual_Lives_Matter]

There are not too many people on this planet. Get a decent job and it’s fine. Don’t work in DC and it’s fine. Stay away from cities and you’re fine.

[@kolonarulez5222]

No one pays for a college degree to get screamed at by parents and change diapers.

[@amydecker6207]

In-home babysitters, this is your moment.

[@marycleary-qe5ou]

That is crazy. Most kids in daycare are from better off families.

[@Wydsbdjwu18393]

This would be a great law if the city actually took measures to help the current workers and some sort of funding to keep daycare costs low for parents. The fact that they didn’t even think about other people or ask other people is CRAZY

[@pariscloud2907]

I could understand making sure they know how to administer a child’s medication, if necessary, or how to do the Heimlich maneuver, but those are things the parents can figure out.

[@James_Hough]

This is idiotic. College degrees are not necessary for many jobs. It's bad enough that private employers require a degree when its not necessary, but for a government to force this is beyond ridiculous. Rolling back college degree requirements across the board will reduce the rate of tuition inflation.

[@Laceynova]

It’s sad that these families have to rush their kids out the door to be raised by other adults.

[@Phisherman10]

Finger painting is very hard, I can understand why you’d need a college degree to teach it.

[@paradigm_conjecture]

People can’t afford daycare. That’s the real problem, not the education level of the providers.

[@crissd8283]

I have a college degree, and I am certainly not qualifed to do this job. How does college prepare you for this? It doesn't. College doesn't prepare you for anything. Ask any college grad if they actually use what they learned in college. I'll bet 90% say no. College is a joke. I certainly never use what I learned.

[@mustang607]

A college degree makes it even more likely that the candidate had to go through Diversity Inclusion Equity struggle sessions.

[@Individual_Lives_Matter]

That’s the point. They have to show their fealty to the cause. The people that run education want this crap in every crevice of your life. There are two reasons for this that come to mind. One, some people realize that this dogmatic worldview gives them power and enriches them personally (via control and sinecures in the diversity bureaucracy). Two, some are true believers and can’t accept dissent. This belief system is extremely dogmatic and intolerant.

[@adammitchell55]

Just one more thing screwing over young adults. One more job which requires that they first be saddled with college debt.

[@TOMinPDX]

How much do daycare workers make? Who is going to commit to getting a college degree to go earn daycare wages? I suppose with college tuition debt cancellation it will pay off though. Go to college, get the government (tax payers) to pay for four years tuition, then go work at a daycare center. I guess that's where we are heading.

[@captain_context9991]

Its incredible how hostile America is towards even BASIC education.

[@lkjkhfggd]

DC is tiny. These daycare workers should just move to Maryland or some other nearby state. I'm sure there's plenty of daycares there that would love to hire them. All the DC daycares will go OOB, and the DC parents are just doomed.

[@jonathanjones3126]

​@@captain_context9991high school is supposed to be the basic education

[@Grunt-lb7vx]

Any society who put the elder over the children wellbeing, will eventually collapse. We been in that trajectory for a while. We have invested into our past, not our future and data shows it.

[@hellobot67]

I don't think daycares are gonna be ready to pay me more than 50k a year for my college in being qualified 🙄

[@rr-brown6445]

😂😂😂 Hell no a college education does not make you better with small kids. Some basic qualifications, yes, but a bachelors degree? Someone’s getting a kickback.

[@MattRolls5280]

I have zero sympathy for these parents. They 100% voted for these policies.

[@DELLRS2012]

What about them have you that impression?

[@rayzerot]

You know only 51% of the parents needed to vote to support this right? 49% of the parents could have vehemently opposed this. Have a little sympathy

[@smoothbraindetainer]

​@@rayzerotyou know citizens don't vote for individual policies right?

[@progressiveearlylearning]

I've had a twenty five year career working in child care centers in NY state. NY requires an associate degree in early childhood in order to be a lead teacher and make more than minimum wage. 18 years ago I got that degree and worked since as a lead teacher until more recent years. My student loans from that have been in income drive repayment. I have not made enough money to have to pay them back and now Biden just forgave them. It's all a scam! I wish someone had told me that all I would get from my degree and career was poverty and PTSD! I am angry about it and now at 45 years old looking for a new career. Government is the problem for sure. However I must say that many care givers that don't understand child development and don't have a degree most often do not provide quality care and I would say often harm children and their development. I've seen atrocious practices in my career, most in my opinion are borderline abusive. I also don't think $24000 is alot as that is the annual salary of most child care providers. I hate listening to rich people like those in this video complain about the cost of child care! However if government wasn't involved, we would not have ever had this problem to begin with. I am also thoroughly convinced it is the advent of center based care, and the regulation of it, that has caused many of society's problems today.

[@sumofat4994]

Kids need love care and play at that age.

[@sandler800]

I'm all about calling out how the government makes things worse. But some rich couple living in that cesspool who get to work from home but choose to send their kids to daycare is not making me very sympathetic towards anything.

[@lkjkhfggd]

I work from home and there's no way I could watch a baby and toddler at the same time. Y'know, because I'm working a job? If my wife was also working from home, we could make it work by working different hours (like she works 6AM-2PM and I work from 2PM-10PM). But then each of us would effectively be working all day long every single day.

[@simonsrattanroom]

@@lkjkhfggd Choices.

[@Defme374]

I run a daycare here in California with my wife, we take care of kids 1 - 3 years old, and the only thing that might require the level of education they are talking about is dealing with state regulators.

[@MoreBollocks-ui2zs]

I am amazed by anyone that can spend this much time every day with this many children for so many years and not be wishing for a way out and welcoming anything that doesn't involve eating a bullet.

[@eddiekulp1241]

Poor families can't afford daycare

[@GratitudeGriot]

After having dealt with high school educated daycare providers in the DMV area I support this. The 15-20 year veterans are awesome, capable and experienced. The ones fresh out of high school were ignorant, combative, and out children in dangerous situations.

[@lovevioletflowers3442]

@GratitudeGriot A college degree doesn't necessarily teach people to have a good work ethic in the workplace.

[@paulwehr4095]

If this is a good idea, wouldn't it also follow that city council members should be required to have a degree in economics?

[@TickedOffPriest]

Anyone want to take a bet as to who lobbied for this bill?

[@Mohamedetp]

I’m thinking teachers unions. Is that what you’re thinking?

[@TickedOffPriest]

@@Mohamedetp Colleges

[@holycrapchris]

I predict a whole lotta daycares opening up in MD and VA.

[@-MattMcCauley-]

Why even have kids if you are just going to dump them in the daycare?

[@QCL2023]

I’m not going to miss out on procreating and raising a child just because the economy requires both parents to bring in income to survive. What a moronic take.

[@-MattMcCauley-]

@@QCL2023 Of you are dumping your kid in daycare you are not "raising" them, dear. Also, when you break down the actual costs of the average mother working outside the home, i.e. factor in taxes, daycare, transportation costs, things like that, most couples who think the wife "has" to work are just kidding themselves, they are compromising their children's healthy development for a few cents per hour, so that dog don't hunt.

[@Bootyeater999]

@@-MattMcCauley-exactly making the government bigger and stronger as a result. 😂

[@d.b.cooper6112]

The program benefits teachers, not kids Teachers vote, kids don't

[@danaaronmusic]

Correction: this program benefits bureaucrats, not teachers, not kids and not parents.

[@Individual_Lives_Matter]

I forget the fellas name but I heard a pundit once say that teacher’s unions have nothing to do with educating kids; they are a jobs program for adults.

[@janibeg3247]

how about a MS or PhD in child development to teach toddlers to stack blocks and tie their shoes.

[@Tamar-sz8ox]

These women should not be kicked out of their jobs. Eg they can take some required classes every 1-2 years

[@alexanderdinkov8002]

DC is sending a clear message to people: "You should turn to the Gray Economy instead". By making the legal ways of daycare prohibitively expensive, they are simply forcing more people to ignore the Law and use the services of people who don't (and can't) pay taxes for the work they do. In other words - if the parents are forced to make a choice between a qualified professional at multiple times the price or a random person from Craig's List, they are gonna choose the latter.

[@me-myself-i787]

That's their plan. Force everyone to break the law, so then they can enforce the law against people they don't like.

[@damienbates]

Absolutely ridiculous! You don’t even need a high school diploma to work with toddlers in a daycare. Hell my teenagers babysit the summers and are really good at it. They play with the kids, read to them and make sure they’re fed meals and snacks. They play in the backyard and watch sponge bob dvds and make a new craft for mom or dad every day! It’s on a simple schedule and they get good money for it.

[@jrho8033]

A degree requirement is a regressive policy. Childcare is already hard enough to come by. Every state should own certification training program. Obviously they know how to do their job. Just put it all on a paper. Like most companies today, they have stopped training employees. They don't want to invest in their own employees anymore, so they expect them to show up knowing every specific detail after getting thousands of dollars in school loan debt.

[@clydedenby1436]

The Cap and Gown Mafia.

[@patriciastauffer3278]

Typical Government, "let's take a slightly bad situation and turn it into a huge problem with no solution,"

[@valeriaswanne]

Being a SAHM is classy if you're rich, but trashy if you're poor. "Why don't you work?" "Because we want the best for our children and my husband provides for us." Vs "Because childcare is more than my paycheck"

[@rabidsamfan]

I have done daycare, and have dealt with daycares. Training and education shows. So let’s get back the child tax credit so parents can afford better teachers.

[@gregnulik1975]

Do parents today need a daycare savings plan , as much as they need a savings plan for college ?

[@blakelewison9872]

Why would anyone choose to be child care worker when you have to go hundreds of thousands in debt to get a degree just to get a job that maybe pays $20 to $25 tops?

[@TheAntiSmug]

Remember when progs were pushing to get children in school before kindergarten? This ought to help with that.....

[@kylelaw7210]

This is wild. Do substitutes or nannies also need a degree?

[@pavels5600]

I can only hope that the law is repealed and that Christina Henderson is voted out of office. If daycares want to list the professional qualification of their employees on their own website, that would be fine.

[@chiplangowski3298]

It would be an interesting experiment to see if a daycare that only employed college-educated teachers could charge higher tuition than a school without college-educated teachers. I would bet that the answer is no. Parents would not be able or willing to pay the extra costs.

[@prim.an.propher1505]

You need a college degree to make minimum wage?! As if teachers are not already given a below liveable wage.

[@briserenity]

I left the daycare to work as para in special education. No degree is needed but if you have credits or degree it helps. Daycares have high turnover rates and some directors are so cheap and the schools are a hot mess. I’m In Massachusetts and it’s soooo expensive.

[@ridingwilding760]

I can understand having an education specialist hired or contracted on with a school so teachers can have lesson plans approved or organized with an accredited individual. However even this I would have as an optional daycare/preschools bonus selling point. There are plenty of accredited programs for this level of teacher that can be used to get the teachers needed education. The reality is daycares teachers don’t need the 2.5 years worth of unrelated classes. The ethics class, the botony class to cover science credits or the 200 level humanities class are examples of General electives I took when pursuing a maths high school education degree. For that matter most of the math classes I took were never needed to teach algebra, geometry and calculus. Things that contribute to high student loan debts. Over in Europe colleges don’t do the GE classes. My understanding is there are only classes available that pertain to the topic of the degree. Making college faster and cheaper.

[@AliasHSW]

If parents have the luxury to work from home, One Should Consider Enrolling Their Child in a Coop Preschool. It’s a lower cost; build and foster a relationship with their child and builds community.

[@stormygeo]

Student loan debt for everyone!!!!! Seriously, early childhood is one of the lowest paying jobs and now you need a degree, for what you can learn on the job or from parenting/babysitting/nannying.

[@heathm]

Oh, so Goverment regulations increases the cost for a product or service for negligible gain

[@judahfriedman8516]

If there was actual need for a daycare with collage educated staff, the private sector would have already created one.

[@eddie8765]

You can not get a degree to be a good teacher. So you get can get a degree in patience. Pay the teachers more and administration less