The 2020 California Early Care and Education (ECE) Workforce Study provides comprehensive statewide and regional information on the early care and education workforce. In late 2020, CSCCE surveyed approximately 7,700, home-based family child care providers, center administrators, center-based teaching staff members, and transitional kindergarten teachers. Respondents generously gave their time to share their experiences and information about their work, including program characteristics, characteristics of children served, program staffing, workforce demographics, as well as information on compensation, economic well-being, work environment, and the impact of COVID-19.

These findings are critical as California confronts systemic inequities in our ECE system, examines opportunities for policy reform across the sector, and determines how to allocate unprecedented state and federal funding.

In addition, an earlier workforce study in 2006 provided groundbreaking information about the California workforce, gathered at the statewide and regional level. The surveys were conducted in partnership between CSCCE and the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network. 

Please also see our COVID-19 resources and publications page, which includes California-specific data on the impact of the pandemic on programs and their staff.

“We are a forgotten field. Benefits and retirement options are a dream for us… We will continue losing quality teachers and administrators unless they can be adequately compensated for all that they do.”

— Center director

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