What is the Early Educator Salary Support Grant?
Through the Early Educator Salary Support Grant, DEC provides grants to early care and education agencies. Agency administrators, working in collaboration with their teachers and DEC, administer the grant funding to increase eligible educators’ salaries. Teachers receive an ongoing wage increase in their paycheck directly from their employer.
Only educators at Green Tier center-based programs are eligible for this grant. A list of participating agencies is linked below.
Eligibility Requirements
DEC will award grants directly to center-based programs with 50% or higher of subsidy-eligible child enrollment. Eligible staff at these programs include:
- Early educators who are involved in direct classroom teaching activities at least 50% of their scheduled hours in City-supported ELS center-based programs.
- Other early education-related positions that provide direct support to children, families and/or teachers. Examples include Home Visitors, Behavioral Therapists, Inclusion Specialists.
- Compensation increases will depend on position/title, permit level, education (degree and ECE units), and whether full-time or part-time, among other factors as defined by DEC.
How are degree and ECE units, and permit information verified for educators?
- Educators are required to have their transcripts and permit information uploaded to their Registry account and verified by the CA ECE Workforce Registry. Degrees related to early education and ECE units will be taken into consideration when determining funding amounts for each educator. It is critical to have the documents and information in your registry profile reflect the most up-to-date information, including recent classes and uploading transcripts.
- Unofficial transcripts are accepted.
- For information about uploading transcripts to the registry please visit our Data Reporting page.
How do eligible educators get the funds?
DEC awards grants directly to programs. This means teachers at these programs do not receive their compensation through a CARES 3.0 stipend, but instead receive a wage increase in their paychecks from their employers.
Grant Amount
The DEC Early Educator Salary Support grant requires a minimum hourly living wage of $32.44 an hour for teachers in the classroom. However, depending on the title/position, education background, permit level, and agency policies, wage increases may vary for each eligible teacher.
The grant also requires agencies to provide hourly wages comparable to non-credentialed Transitional Kindergarten teachers at SFUSD for those lead teachers with equivalent educational qualifications and permit levels. The matrix below shows the minimum hourly wage benchmarks for classroom teachers based on educational attainment and/or teacher permit level.
Minimum Hourly Compensation Requirements by Educational Attainment & CTC Permit Levels
Less than 12 ECE Units and/or Assistant Permit
- Minimum Hourly Compensation Requirements for Assistant Teachers: $32.44
- Minimum Hourly Compensation Requirements for Lead Teachers: $32.44
More than 12 ECE Units and/or Associate Teacher Permit
- Minimum Hourly Compensation Requirements for Assistant Teachers: $32.44
- Minimum Hourly Compensation Requirements for Lead Teachers: $32.44
24 ECE Units including core courses Plus 16 GE units and/or Teacher or Master Teacher Permit
- Minimum Hourly Compensation Requirements for Assistant Teachers: $32.44
- Minimum Hourly Compensation Requirements for Lead Teachers: $32.44
AA Degree which includes: 24 ECE Units with core courses plus 6 Administration Units plus 2 Adult Supervision Units and/or Site Supervisor or Program Director Permit
- Minimum Hourly Compensation Requirements for Assistant Teachers: $32.44
- Minimum Hourly Compensation Requirements for Lead Teachers: $35.68
BA Degree w/ 12 ECE Units or above and Teacher Permit or above
- Minimum Hourly Compensation Requirements for Assistant Teachers: $32.44
- Minimum Hourly Compensation Requirements for Lead Teachers: $40.57
*BA Parity Comparison: SFUSD year 1 Intern/Emergency/Non-Credential TK-12 teacher w/BA and CTC Permit
MA Degree in Child Development or closely related field (subject to verification and DEC approval) and a Program Director Permit
- Minimum Hourly Compensation Requirements for Assistant Teachers: $32.44
- Minimum Hourly Compensation Requirements for Lead Teachers: $43.20
*MA Parity Comparison: SFUSD year 1 Intern/Emergency/Non-Credential TK-12 teacher w/ BA + 60 units
Contact
Children’s Council Help Desk
- 415-343-4669
Contact for questions about:
- Creating or updating your Workforce Registry profile; employer administrative access or your registry account
Workforce Initiative Team
- 628-652-3005
Contact for questions about:
- Compensation and Retention for Early Educators Stipend (CARES 3.0), Stipend for Early Educator Professional Development (SEEPD), Early Educator Salary Support Grant (EESSG), and Pathways.
California Workforce Registry
- (323) 645-2631 (Los Angeles), (855) 645-0826 (Toll Free)
Contact for questions about:
- Your uploaded transcripts and documents on the CA Workforce Registry