COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) has launched a new program aimed to help attract and retain early childcare educators.
The program, SC BOO$T, will provide bonuses directly to qualified workers in child care facilities across the state.
"This is something that should have been done a long time ago if I'm being honest," said LaVonda Paul, who is the principal and director of Small Impressions CDC in Greenville. "People need to shine a light to see there is value in what we do."
Which is what SCDSS aims to do through the BOO$T program for early childhood educators by providing educators with wage bonuses according to DSS Chief External Affairs Officer Connelly-Anne Ragley. "We are able to offer this to childcare workers because we know one of the issues that childcare providers face is employees and keeping them in the classrooms and keeping those individuals doing the jobs they love."
Current funding for the program is coming from the federal ARPA supplemental funds given during COVID and educators must meet a list of criteria in order to receive the additional income.
“As someone is working in a childcare center they must currently be in that position for at least 6 months and they must go onto the SC Endeavors website and sign up and make sure they are being counted in this to be eligible to participate in the BOO$T program,” Ragley explained.
Applying for the program, according to Paul, is pretty straight forward, "It's really an easy process. Almost like 1…2...3. It was nothing that took a lot of thinking."
Bonuses are given twice, once every 6 months and can range from an annual amount of $2,200 to $4,000, with that amount increasing depending on the level of education providers obtain.
Currently BOO$T is considered a pilot program, but DSS hopes through this pilot they can collect useful information to keep the program long term.
"We hope that the data that we collect and the feedback that we get from childcare providers and childcare employees, will be something that maybe the state will look into funding this type of program or this type of wage supplement for childcare employees long term," Ragley said.
Although the ability to receive the wage bonus is currently a one-time source of federal money, Paul says every bit helps if it means continuing to do what she and her colleagues love. "It's a nice little incentive to give teachers that have been in this field for a while doing the work, so again we are just grateful," Paul concluded.
To access the program's application process visit here.