California child care workers struggle to survive with low salaries, little respect

DONISE KELLER HAS made many sacrifices in 20 years as a child care provider, but she has rarely questioned her calling. She puts in 12-hour days. She gets by on less than $20,000 a year. She worries about getting COVID on the job. But, despite it all, she says she loves what she does.

“Children are our most precious gifts. I feel honored to help take care of them and help them grow. It’s a labor of love,” said the 53-year-old single mother who lives in Antioch. “I am compensated, it’s just not in money.”