Resources

For Advocates & Policymakers

Learn more about the reform needed to build a thriving early care and education (ECE) system. Investigate how California’s early educators are well-equipped to teach transitional kindergarten. View ECE workforce earnings in each state, especially compared to K-12 educators.

Featured Brief

Solutions to the Early Educator Workforce Crisis

How Legislators Can Make a Difference for Kids, Families, and Educators

Early care and education (ECE) reform is a priority issue for the majority of voters across party lines. This fact sheet provides legislators with key issues facing the ECE workforce, state-based solutions, and four action steps to take to champion workforce policies.

An early childhood educator is photographed in a center-based child care setting

Key Findings

One-fourth of California’s teaching staff belong to a union. Most are women of color.

Washington D.C. ensures premium-free healthcare coverage for its early childhood educators.

The wages of early educators are directly tied to the ability of families to pay.

Resources

View CSCCE’s latest research, policy recommendations, and commentary on the early care and education workforce and the need for public investment.

Jobs Tracker, A line graph that plummets dramatically near the far left, jumps quickly to around halfway to the starting point, then slowly slopes up.

Child Care Sector Jobs: BLS Analysis

By Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) • September 12, 2023

CSCCE provides ongoing analysis of national and regional child care job numbers. Check back each month for updates.

An early educator and a group of children are playing with blocks.

Early Educator Work Environments: Educators in Oregon Share Their Experiences

Early educators’ work environments are children’s learning environments. Young children depend on educators who are not only skilled, but have their well-being and needs supported, too.

multiple graphic art including a check, certificate, and house

Early Childhood Workforce Index State Profiles 2020

Explore your state’s data, including median wages and poverty rates for early educators. See where your state is or isn’t taking action to support early educator preparation, compensation, and working conditions.

Early child care teacher in classroom providing assistance to 1 of 3 children during activity time.

Teaching Transitional Kindergarten: A Snapshot of the Teacher Experience Before UTK Expansion

By Elena Montoya, Anna Powell, Lea J.E. Austin, Yoonjeon Kim, Wanzi Muruvi and Abby Copeman Petig • December 6, 2022

We cannot have a functional early care and education system until we have the policies and funding to ensure that educators across the sector earn fair compensation and gain the economic security they deserve.

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