Early Childhood Workforce
The early childhood workforce supports young children and their families to help them thrive, and includes both those who provide child care and early education (e.g., home- and center-based early educators, pre-K teachers, support staff) and those who provide other services for young children and their families (e.g., home visitors, early interventionists). Despite its importance, the early childhood workforce—predominantly composed of women, many of whom are women of color—receives lower compensation and experiences more barriers to career advancement than most other professionals. This reality reflects the historical and persistent racism and sexism in our institutions, policies, and culture.
Child Trends studies ways to improve equity in training, career pathways, work conditions, and compensation for the early childhood workforce. We examine national, state, and local trends in workforce preparation, compensation, and well-being, and evaluate the effects of state and federal policies and funding on the stability and diversity of the workforce. Our work draws on a wide variety of research and evaluation strategies, including secondary data analysis, primary data collection, policy scans, literature syntheses, and program evaluation. We also increasingly provide technical assistance to states and local communities—for example, by developing planning tools and data collection guides that help our partners answer critical questions about the early childhood workforce in their area. We take a strengths-based approach to our work and use innovative methods, such as historical analysis and participatory action research, to elevate the voices of workforce members and highlight the workforce’s role in quality improvement within child care and early education.
Our work has engaged the field on race equity in the early childhood workforce and increased attention to the importance of workforce well-being. Our research partnerships with states aim to increase the capacity of states and local communities to address the needs of their early childhood workforces, create more equitable and stable work environments, and better prepare educators to educate and care for our nation’s youngest children.
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