Health
Chicago Early Childhood Care Workers to Receive Pay Bump with $7M Investment From City
Tahiti Hamer, an early childhood teacher at the North Lawndale YMCA and SEIU Healthcare Illinois executive board member, speaks during a news conference at the North Lawndale YMCA on May 13, 2025. (WTTW News)
About 3,000 early childhood care and education workers will see a salary increase following a $7 million investment from the city, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced Tuesday.
The money aims to bring early childhood workers’ pay closer to the broader K-12 education workforce, according to city officials. The average salary for non-federally funded early childhood workers is $35,000 and is “well below” the average salary for Chicago Public Schools educators, according to a city news release.
Starting in July, about 3,000 early childhood professionals at 86 early childhood care and education agencies funded by the city will see a cost-per-child increase in their salaries, averaging to a 5-10% increase in wages, according to city officials.
“We know that, for too long, our childcare workers have not been seen and valued,” Johnson said during a news conference announcing the investment at the North Lawndale YMCA.
Johnson was joined by early childhood care workers, members of the labor union SEIU Healthcare Illinois and the city’s Department of Family and Support Services Acting Commissioner Maura McCauley.
The city department works with providers to serve about 13,000 children from birth to five years old, utilizing both state and federal funding. The department’s children services division manages early learning programs, such as the federal program Head Start, which is facing possible cuts under the Trump administration.
With the new $7 million investment, Head Start workers will receive a one-time bonus of 2%, according to a news release. Funding for the investment comes from the city’s corporate funds.
“Childhood learning starts from the moment they’re born, and I’m honored to be one of their first teachers,” said Tahiti Hamer, an early childhood teacher at the North Lawndale YMCA and SEIU Healthcare Illinois executive board member.
Hamer described struggling to support herself and her own children on an early childhood teacher’s salary.
“Together, we took the first step towards making early childhood jobs one that will support workers and our families,” Hamer said. “But, we can’t stop here.”
Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]
