ECE Retenion -- Is it all about the money?

The issue of retention in Early Childhood Education is a growing concern in the field. What has been more concerning over the past 25 years is the ECE wage, or lack there of. While both retention and wage are linked together, it’s important to question if wage is the only variable persuading ECE’s to leave. Is it all about the money?

I set out to answer my question, and created a survey for ECE‘s asking them questions about motivations, intrinsic benefits and monetary benefits. I wanted to know if they were leaving the field solely because of low wages, or were there other variables involved in their decision.

Thirty (30) surveys were returned with astonishing results. Not only was money ranked the lowest of importance on the rating scale, but the highest rated answers had to do with strong leadership, staff morale and recognition in the field. Surprisingly, 25 out of 30 ECE’s stated that a strong leader who embodies a forward thinking attitude, is passionate about the field, encourages their staff to embrace the profession and leads with a vision would CHANGE an ECE’s mind to stay in the field, regardless of money.

Having this evidence can give directors and other members concerned with ECE retention valuable insight. It could lead towards ideas of what we should do in order to keep ECE’s, while we are advocating for improved wages. Perhaps it’s important to remember that attitude is a choice and not a circumstance; it may not all be about the money.

This research was conducted by Lindsay Buset for a class called Topics in ECCE Leadership at the University of Winnipeg. She has been working as an Early Childhood Educator in the field for the past 7 years and just finished her Bachelor of Arts degree in Developmental Studies with a specialization in Inclusion.

If you wish to see the survey or research report, Lindsay Buset can be reached by e-mail at lindsaybuset@gmail.com