Degree requirements for child-care workers may improve industry, but raise concerns for low-paying field

Inside Higher Ed: New developments in the field and the drive to improve quality in some careers are pushing entry-level requirements to include degrees.

Take, for instance, jobs in child care or early-childhood development.

A new regulation in Washington sets an associate degree as the minimum credential for a lead teacher in a child-care center. The District of Columbia’s child-care providers have until December 2020 to meet the new regulation. Child-care directors must also earn at least a bachelor’s degree, and home-care providers and assistant teachers must have a child development associate credential, which is an entry-level certificate for providers.

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