HUNTINGTON -- A new scholarship opportunity is being offered to child care workers who want to further their education.
The T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education and Compensation Help) Scholarship, offered by River Cities Child Development Services through Pew Charitable Trust and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services, pays 75 percent of the annual tuition and 90 percent of books.
Brooke Randolph, the T.E.A.C.H. WEST VIRGINIA specialist, said the scholarship enables employees at licensed child care centers to attend college to obtain an associate's or bachelor's degree. She said the goal is to increase the level of compensation for the employees, increase the education level of the work force and reduce turnover at the centers.
"The person who receives it must make a commitment to stay (at their center) and work for a year while under the scholarship," Randolph said.
She added that there are incentives for the providers as well. The scholarship comes with three hours of paid release time for the employee, with 50 percent being reimbursed to the employer.
There also is a new state initiative that completes the circle. Randolph said a new quality rating system rewards centers, with one of the major tiers being the credentials of the employees.
"The higher the tier level, the more state reimbursement," Randolph said.
"Our goal is to get more early child care teachers educated," she continued. "As West Virginia works toward achieving universal Pre-K, they need to keep their Pre-K jobs. There's not enough degreed teachers to fill these positions."