Publications
Explore our publications from the last two decades.
Beyond Rosie: What World War II Child Care Did—and Didn’t—Deliver
October 15, 2026 • Blog • By Marcy Whitebook and Leah Gutierrez
Many historical accounts have preserved a compelling image of federally funded child care for all working women during World War II: a mother finishing her shift at a defense plant, collecting her child from a nearby free child care center that runs around the clock and provides take-home dinners.
Good Jobs in Early Care and Education: Building Better Working Conditions
September 30, 2026 • Brief • By Shauna Dyer
This publication was generously funded by the Bay Area Jobs First Collaborative in partnership with California Jobs First. Good early care and education (ECE) programs are built on supportive working conditions. In spring 2026, CSCCE held three discussion groups with center-based teachers from nine Bay Area…
Building the Conditions for Early Educator Compensation: Lessons From Louisiana
September 22, 2026 • Case Study • By Hyeonjeong Lee, Silvia Muñoz and Caitlin McLean
This publication was generously supported by the Early Educator Investment Collaborative. This case study looks at how Louisiana’s long-term investments in governance, infrastructure, and local leadership have helped sustain and advance early care and education (ECE) priorities — even during periods of fiscal uncertainty. Our analysis draws…
Head Start’s False Choice: Expanding Access by Weakening the Workforce
August 12, 2026 • Blog • By Savitha Moorthy
Right now, a Head Start teacher can be responsible for no more than four two-year-olds. In Florida, state licensing allows eleven. On August 7, the Administration for Children and Families proposed a rule that would replace Head Start’s federal standards with…
August 11, 2026 • Brief • By Anna Powell, Wanzi Muruvi and Abby Copeman Petig
This policy brief and the accompanying webinar series were generously supported by the California Department of Social Services, the Heising-Simons Foundation, the Blue Shield of California Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and the Bay Area Jobs First Collaborative. A sudden enrollment shift into transitional kindergarten has upended the…
Listening to Early Educators of Color: Lived Experiences Reflect the Multilayered Effects of Racism
July 6, 2026 • Report • By Yoonjeon Kim, Wanzi Muruvi and Hopeton Hess
This report was generously supported with grants from the Blue Shield of California Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation. The early care and education workforce is one of California’s most diverse sectors, with educators of color making up about 70 percent of those caring for the state’s youngest learners.