The Model Salary Scale was designed to set minimum standards for education and compensation to help attract and retain qualified early childhood education teachers. It is based on paying teachers a living wage, and wages that are on parity with the salaries of entry level public school teachers. Based on input from directors and teachers, the resulting salary scale serves as a model for child care programs wanting to adapt or change their own salary structure. Use of the Model Salary Scale is completely voluntary. Currently, there are no state-level requirements to use the salary scale, however, we know that providing a wage scale that identifies increases related to education is a factor in attracting and retaining qualified staff. (author abstract)