By JULIE JETTE
The Patriot Ledger

AMELIA KUNHARDT/The Patriot Ledger

In the infant room at Pilgrim Child Care, Amanda Holt changes the diaper of three-month-old Niamh Hickey.

Parents are paying more than ever for day care. But their children’s teachers - whom experts call pivotal in a child’s development - are hardly reaping financial rewards.

Teachers working directly with children make $8 to $15 an hour, according to an informal survey of child-care providers. While some programs provide health care and other benefits, many cannot.

At the same time, research is showing that children in classrooms with teachers who have degrees in early childhood education do far better in their early academic life. State regulations under consideration would require more education and professional development for teachers in child care programs.

Michelle Manganaro, director of Pilgrim Child Care in Duxbury, said 90 percent of their fees go to staff costs, with the rest going to rent, maintenance, repairs and a security system.

“Our teachers are paid a little bit more, but they’re still not paid enough,” Manganaro said.

Although her program offers health insurance, it takes a large chunk of the paycheck of the teachers who elect to use it.

“A lot of the women in our field have a husband who provides the health care,” she said.