Our Purpose

CSCCE provides research and analysis on the preparation, working conditions, and compensation of the early care and education workforce. We develop policy solutions and create spaces for teaching, learning, and educator activism. Our vision is an effective public early care and education system that secures racial, gender, and economic justice for the women whose labor is the linchpin of stable, quality services. 

In the News

CSCCE research and experts were featured in over 1,600 news stories in 2022 with a potential reach of 4.8 billion readers and viewers.

Thought Leadership

Our research staff frequently present and provide expert commentary and technical assistance to local, state, and national policymakers and ECE organizations.

“These poor working conditions are not inevitable. They are a product of policy choices that have consistently let down early educators.”

Caitlin McLean

Director of Multi-State and International Programs

CSCCE

Our Values

We believe that public policies and investments should create the conditions that allow early educators to thrive, and we undertake our work in service of this goal. These values reflect our approaches and commitment to one another as team members, to our work with and for early educators, and to our collaborators, allies, and funders.

Justice and Liberation

Disruption of oppression in all its forms––systemic, organizational, interpersonal, and personal––is required to achieve justice and liberation for us all. We believe that our internal practices, external engagement, and partnerships should be undertaken in ways that are intended to affirm one another’s humanity. 

Dignity 

All people have the right to experience dignity (economic and otherwise) in their work; to be recognized for their contributions to peers, organizations, communities, and society; and to be provided the ability to live a fulfilling life.

Research, Policy, and Activism

Research, policy, and activism are inherently interconnected. We believe in reforming the system through undertaking research, proposing policy solutions, and actively participating in change efforts.   

Teacher Power 

We believe teachers have the right to exercise power in their profession and should be able to organize, free from interference. Radical reform depends upon early educators using their collective power to advance systems that support their well-being and effectiveness as professionals.

Educators of Color

The experiences, intellect, and leadership of women of color must be front and center in the struggle to overcome early educators’ systemic maltreatment, which is rooted in the historical and persistent undervaluing of work performed by people of color and women. 

Learning and Discovery

To transform systems, we must discover new ideas and new ways of being. Learning with and from those whose voices have been silenced or ignored is essential to this transformation.

Stewardship

We have a responsibility to be good stewards of the data–narrative and quantitative–provided to us in the course of our work. We believe that data has immediate and long-term value and should be responsibly managed. 

Collective Well-Being

To support our own collective well-being, we must have the space to express the frustration and disappointment as well as the joy and celebration that come with change work. 

Impact

CSCCE is part of the team leading the National ECE Workforce Center funded by the Administration for Children and Families.

Over 1,600 print and broadcast news stories featured CSCCE research and experts in 2022.

Activities of the National ECE Workforce Center are informed by five strategic policy areas drawn from our Early Childhood Workforce Index

Current Funders

Quick Links