Impact of grandfathering caregiver qualifications in center child care regulations on the early childhood classroom teacher workforce in Delaware
Date
2019
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Educational qualifications for workers in licensed Delaware child care centers increased significantly when the 1987 center regulations were revised in 2007. Previously, staff qualified as Caregivers could be the only adult in the classroom. Caregivers were only required to have a high school diploma, 60 clock hours of any training related to their position, and one-year of experience working with children in a group setting. When the 2007 center rules were enacted with higher staff qualifications, Caregivers could request permanent exemption from the Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) and would not have to meet the new higher educational qualifications. If granted, “grandfathering” would be valid permanently at the current place of employment but was not transferable to another center. ☐ Much research has shown that the development and learning of young children in center-based programs is related to the educational qualifications of their teachers. The issue of grandfathering qualifications when child care regulations are changed has been discussed repeatedly in Delaware. This study is significant to help reveal if grandfathering Caregiver qualifications resulted in early childhood professionals achieving the new higher qualifications over time or if grandfathering resulted in a terminal education decision not to achieve the higher standard. ☐ Data from OCCL and the Delaware Department of Education’s Delaware First revealed that 365 individuals were granted Caregiver grandfathering. Only 129 (35.3%) received a qualification equal to or higher than their grandfathered Caregiver status. The majority of grandfathered Caregivers (n=236; 64.7%) did not apply to Delaware First for a qualification (n=210; 57.5%) or did not achieve a qualification comparable to their Caregiver status (n=26; 7.1%). ☐ Almost one-half (n=71; 45.8%) of the Caregivers who received a higher qualification are still working in Delaware early childhood centers in 2018, or 19.4% of grandfathered Caregivers. Only 21.9% (n= 46) of grandfathered Caregivers who never applied to Delaware First are still working in Delaware centers (or 12.6% of all grandfathered Caregivers).