Building a Stronger Future for South Carolina's Little Ones

South Carolina is facing a big problem. Many families struggle to find good and affordable child care. This is because there aren't enough people working in child care. From 2018 to 2022, around 2, 500 early childhood educators left their jobs. Why? Low pay and few benefits. Most child care workers earn about $30, 000 a year. This makes it hard for centers to keep staff. Take Living Springs, for example. Eighteen years ago, it had 20 staff members caring for 140 children. Now, it's operating at half that size. This shows how the staffing shortage is hurting child care centers. But there's hope. Programs like BOOST are helping. Funded by federal COVID-19 aid, BOOST gave bonuses to child care workers in 2024. This reduced turnover by 8%. However, more support is needed to make a bigger difference. ABC Quality and South Carolina Endeavors are working together to improve the child care system. ABC Quality focuses on child-centered programs. South Carolina Endeavors provides training for educators. Together, they aim to strengthen the state's child care workforce. The goal is clear: fair pay, sustainable funding, and stronger incentives. These are needed to ensure every child in South Carolina has access to high-quality early education. It's a big challenge, but with the right support, it's possible to build a stronger future for the state's little ones.