Each edition of CSCCE’s biannual Early Childhood Workforce Index includes national and state data on early care and education workforce pay, working conditions, and policies. The data-rich publication fills a serious gap in the lack of state and national data on the workforce, making it essential to policymakers, advocates and news outlets.

The 2018 edition of the Index provides a current appraisal of workforce conditions and policies across states. It is divided into four topical chapters:

  1. About the Workforce provides a national snapshot of characteristics of the early educator workforce across settings and discusses state-level variation.
  2. Earnings and Economic Security provides national and state data on ECE workforce pay in relation to other occupations and presents new analyses of pay.
  3. Early Childhood Workforce Policies assesses state policies in five areas: qualifications and educational supports; work environments; compensation and financial relief strategies; workforce data; and financial resources.
  4. Family and Income Support Policies assesses state policies across occupations in two areas: income supports and health and well-being.

These indicators represent opportunities for state policies that have the potential to enhance the lives of the many children and adults affected by ECE employment conditions. Throughout the Index we spotlight recent research or promising developments that advance new policies or improved conditions.

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Suggested Citation

Whitebook, M., McLean, C., Austin, L.J.E., & Edwards, B. (2018). Early Childhood
Workforce Index – 2018
. Berkeley, CA: Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved from https://cscce.berkeley.edu/topic/early-childhood-workforce-index/2018/.