“When I was in OAC (over twenty years ago!) I received offers for two university programs, one for the Fine Arts and one to the Early Childhood Education program at a community college.
When my English teacher asked where I was headed in the fall, she was aghast when I told her that I had accepted the ECE offer. “But you’re so much better than that! You have so much potential! Don’t let your talents go to waste!”. And it made me angry and made me want to do it more.
I was cognizant of the fact that this was a career that would not be a lucrative one. But my nineteen year old self rationalized it by saying I don’t need “things” and that spending my work days doing something I loved was the ultimate goal.
Oh, and love it, I do! Far more than I ever imagined really: spending every day with tiny, hilarious humans and seeing the world through their eyes. Sharing my love of the arts and music and books, and being inspired by their imagination and innovation. Co-workers have become some of my closest and dearest friends. I could go on and on.
Yet despite the fact that my chosen career is a perfect fit for me in (almost) every way, I am so broken-hearted that my English teacher was absolutely right. I AM better than this.
I work hard at my job. I go above and beyond – during my work day and also on my own unpaid time. I am among the best at arguably one of the best centres in the province.
But because I am a woman who chose a profession that has been historically branded as ‘women’s work’, I am forced to lose out in so many ways.
I am better than low pay. And poor benefits. And a miserably tiny pension match (compared to many in my field, I am doing so well, which saddens me more. And it is still not enough to support myself independently).
I am better than being left unprotected by not having a union and when I try to advocate for myself and my co-workers for fundamental things that people in other professions take for granted, I am constantly reminded of ‘how good I how good I have it here’ & am branded as problematic.
I am better than having our hiring contracts and policies rewritten with no negotiation process, increasing our responsibilities and duties with no compensation.
I am better than being placed on the frontlines during a pandemic and being seen as just a dollar amount by people who sit at desks and are many tax brackets above the employees who are rolling up their sleeves and doing the extra work (SO MUCH EXTRA WORK!) with a smile on our masked faces, while putting ourselves and families at risk.
I am better than being overlooked at budget time, where innovation, expansion and reputation is a higher priority than being a leader in staff compensation.
I am better than having my vacation reduced when the budget gets tight. And my small annual raise taken away (though it isn’t inline with inflation anyway, and the longer we stay, the further behind we fall). And our sick time stays the same during a time when we are most at risk in the line of duty and will be forced to stay home for so many things. Even under normal circumstances, there is a high instance of sickness due to the very nature of what we do. Our budgets are tight at home as well, with the difference being they always have been and are even more so now.
I am better than ‘PPE provided’ which means I wear a cloth mask to protect the children from me, but have no protection for myself and, therefore, my family (PPE provided?! The government provided for September as promised, but we still await October’s shipment, at the mid-point of the month).
I am better than a government who doesn’t fund child care centres as needed because child care isn’t a part of the publicly funded education system, where some employees are more appropriately compensated and protected.
Men are teachers, you see, so education is seen as worthy and important past the age of five
I am better than simply being a babysitter to reopen the economy at the risk of the health of myself, the children in my care, my coworkers and our families.
Although she still does not need ‘things’, that optimistic girl starting out in the world was wrong.
As my own late teens are beginning their path to adulthood, my advice has changed from ‘find a job that you love’, to ‘find something that you enjoy, but most importantly, be sure you are adequately compensated for your work’. I push benefits and pension packages; abstract concepts not fully understood by the teenage mind. Because although money can’t buy happiness, it CAN stave off a whole world of hurt and trouble.
I can find happiness just about anywhere, but when an emergency dental surgery or car/home repair unexpectedly appears, it can absolutely derail the whole train. And retirement? There are meagre savings, always getting eaten up by the aforementioned ‘unexpecteds’.
Having just reached middle age, I can feel the areas in my body that are beginning to ache from years at this incredibly demanding and physical job. But like my ECE mother before me, I will continue to do it well into my senior years and while fighting through chronic pain, because there is no other choice if I hope to have a roof over my head and food on the table.
Because I am a woman. And society tells me that this is what I am worth.
And so I will leave this place. This place that I love and have loved since I was small and sat in the laps of women who would eventually become my co-workers. This place of dreams and freedom and family and love and laughter. But not of opportunity.
And so, in time, (if I can make it through the pandemic unscathed and with my savings still intact, to weather supplying until I get full time), I will hopefully work for the school board, where my skills and talent may very well go neglected. But where I will be more adequately compensated and protected.
Because men work there.
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Erika’s story is not uncommon. We know that many in government and outside our sector do not recognize and appreciate the value of the work we do. Yet, we know that may do – and together, we are rising up for child care. The status-quo is not good enough. We will push back against current proposed regulation changes. We will raise our voices to call for a national child care system with decent work at the core. Children deserve it, families deserve it, educators deserve it.
Share your story. Sign the petition. Rise up for child care. https://www.childcareontario.org/risingup