Rich Winefield has seen first hand the pros and cons of the minimum wage increase.
As executive director of BANANAS, an Oakland-based nonprofit that connects families with childcare providers, he has seen how Oakland’s minimum wage hike has impacted workers who benefit from a higher wage, while creating new challenges for families facing more expensive or reduced access to child care.
“Everybody believes that it’s a good thing, that we do need to improve wages, because childcare providers are woefully underpaid,” he said. “ But the implications can be complicated.”
In March, the minimum wage in Oakland jumped to $12.25 from $9 an hour. “The increase in the minimum wage is absolutely having a dramatic impact on the childcare field,” Winefield said.
The wage hike is restricting access to child care for lower-income families, he said.
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