INCENTIVE$ Program offers Pay Supplements to Early Childhood Educators

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incentivos_0Education-based pay supplements up to $5,000 help retain quality early childhood educators

Early childhood educators serve a critical role in the development of our children, yet many earn less than $10 per hour in New Mexico. The New Mexico Association for the Education of Young Children (NMAEYC), a local nonprofit, is proactively seeking a way to develop and retain qualified early childhood education professionals across the state. With the invaluable help and foresight of state legislators, the Governor and her staff, the INCENTIVE$ pay supplement program has been extended across the state this year to provide education-based pay stipends of up to $5,000 to early educators in childcare.

The INCENTIVE$ program seeks to increase retention, education levels and compensation of professionals who work with children under five, while also improving the overall quality of the early childhood education system in the state of New Mexico. INCENTIVE$ offers education-based supplements between $300 and $5,000 annually to low-paid early educators in childcare. Teachers with advanced college degrees can receive up to $5,000 annually.

Daniel Ritchey, Program Director at the NMAEYC, commented, “The education of young children is one of the most important things we can do to guarantee a bright future for our communities, but the professionals who dedicate their lives to providing stable and safe learning environments for our young children are being undervalued and underpaid.” He continued, “INCENTIVE$ has been proven to encourage professionals to continue working to create high quality early childhood education programs right here in New Mexico.”

Applications for this year’s cycle are due Nov. 30, however, the NMAEYC is working to secure additional funding to award stipends on a rolling basis. For more information and to download an application visit nmaeyc.org. Applications and information are available in both English and Spanish.

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The New Mexico Association for the Education of Young Children (NMAEYC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting quality care and education for the well being of ALL young children, birth to eight, through professional development and advocacy.