CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) that operate early childhood education centers will be encouraged to bring staff salaries and health care benefits to a "just and fair level." More than 2,300 of the ELCA's 11,000 congregations operate early childhood education ministries.
The board for the ELCA Division for Higher Education and Schools (DHES) met here March 12-14 and approved a plan that encourages congregations to develop compensation guidelines for teachers and early childhood professionals.
"Early childhood professionals earn about $6.80 an hour," said the Rev. Paul J. Thielo, Messiah Lutheran Church, Fairview Park, Ohio.=20 Teaching staff continue to earn unacceptablly low wages, he said.=20 Thielo is a member of the DHES board and chairs the board's committee on schools.
Early childhood education centers continue to experience high turnover of teaching staff, threatening education centers' ability to provide good quality, consistent services to children, said John J. Scibilia, ELCA director for schools.
Scibilia said bringing early childhood staff salaries and health care benefits to "a just and fair level" is in the best interest of children and "right for the church."
The DHES board called for prayer "for the well-being of all teachers and child care workers," and to encourage the ELCA to "acknowledge and affirm the ministry of early childhood care professionals."
DHES will advocate for ELCA congregations and social ministry organizations to provide adequate benefit packages and bring compensation to levels equivalent to those of "other professionals with comparable preparation requirements, experience and job responsibilities."
Scibilia said teachers and child care workers have the greatest effect on quality early childhood education programs, and the need to improve the quality of programs in the United States is immediate.
Children are a precious gift from God. Experience and recent research confirms the importance of early childhood education in the life of a child, said Scibilia.
"Help the Children" is one of the ELCA's "Initiatives to Prepare for a New Century." The Initiatives represent significant areas of the church's ministry. "Help the Children" works to advocate for the basic needs of children. Scibilia is member of that Initiative's leadership team.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
