Center for the Study of Childcare Employment

This study documents the current state of staff qualifications, stability, turnover and compensation in state-funded prekindergarten programs. It also identifies conditions under which Pre-K initiatives promote a more skilled and stable, and better compensated, early care and education workforce.

As considered, this report examined the workforce challenges that would face us if the state built its system. The paper provided a detailed analysis of these emerging workforce issues, intended to guide policy makers, planners and advocates in asking the right questions as they designed and developed a preschool system for California.

This report describes the early childhood degree programs offered in Nebraska, focusing on variations in program content, age group focus, student field-based learning, and faculty characteristic, as well as the extent to which Nebraska ECE higher education programs are incorporating early math and family engagement.

This report is part of our Early Childhood higher Education Inventory. The Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory, administered by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of California at Berkeley, assists policymakers and other stakeholders to develop a more coordinated and comprehensive professional preparation and development system for the early care and education workforce. The Inventory is a mechanism to describe the landscape of a state’s early childhood degree program offerings, at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. The Inventory captures variations in program goals, content, child age-group focus, student field-based learning, and faculty characteristics and professional development needs. This information allows policy makers, institutions of higher education and other stakeholders to identify the gaps and opportunities in the available offerings, make informed policy decisions, and assess the capacity of the higher education system over time.

In 1997, nine years after the original National Child Care Staffing Study, the Center for the Childcare Workforce interviewed directors at the centers still in operation to assess changes in wages, benefits and turnover; whether increases in public investment for child care have benefited the child care workforce; and the extent to which former welfare recipients are employed in center-based child care.

This report details the findings of the Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory: Principal Certification Programs [Principal Inventory] (CSCCE, 2016) conducted in the state of New Jersey in 2016. The Principal Inventory is a research tool used to assess the inclusion of course content and field experiences related to early education in preparation programs for educational professionals seeking to become principals. The report outlines an approach to reconceptualizing and strengthening preparation and support for principal candidates and current school leaders.

The Year 1 interviews of the Learning Together study reveal that two to three years post degree, nearly 95 percent of graduates remain in the early care and education (ECE) field, and that graduates overwhelmingly report personal, professional and educational benefits as a result of their B.A. degree cohort program. Specifically, graduates report that structural aspects of their B.A. program, such as financial aid and flexible class schedules, were important to their educational success, that the cohort experience continues to provide them with professional support, and that as a result of their degree attainment they now earn more, have advanced in their careers, and continue to explore educational opportunities. Graduates also identified several important areas for programmatic improvement, such as expanding coursework to include ECE public policy and classes on working with adults. They also discuss workplace characteristics that support or impede their abilities to engage in good practice and to continue to develop their skills.

The Learning Together  study focuses on four California counties’ (Alameda, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, and San Francisco) efforts to expand bachelor’s degree opportunities in early care and education (ECE) for working adults. The student cohort model – in which small groups of ECE students with similar interests and characteristics pursue a bachelor’s degree together and receive targeted support services – has emerged across the country.

The Learning Together study is supported by: First 5 Alameda County-Every Child Counts, First 5 Santa Barbara County, First 5 San Francisco, the WestEd – E3 Institute, and the W. Clement and Jessie V. Stone Foundation.

This report describes the early childhood degree programs offered in Florida, focusing on variations in program content, age-group focus, student field-based learning, and faculty characteristics, as well as the extent to which Florida ECE higher education programs are incorporating early math, family engagement, and working with dual language learners.

This report is part of our Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory. The Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory, administered by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of California at Berkeley, assists policymakers and other stakeholders to develop a more coordinated and comprehensive professional preparation and development system for the early care and education workforce. The Inventory is a mechanism to describe the landscape of a state’s early childhood degree program offerings, at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. The Inventory captures variations in program goals, content, child age-group focus, student field-based learning, and faculty characteristics and professional development needs. This information allows policy makers, institutions of higher education and other stakeholders to identify the gaps and opportunities in the available offerings, make informed policy decisions, and assess the capacity of the higher education system over time.

This 2001 report chronicles the history of the over 30 year struggle to address inadequate compensation in the early care and education field. It describes the growing awareness of the links between poverty level wages and quality of care, and the efforts made at local and national levels to improve compensation. Although not reflecting the most recent compensation initiatives, it provides valuable insights on the history of the field and important developments in working on these still unresolved issues.

As California policymakers start to chart a path forward beyond COVID-19, it is important to first understand and reckon with the pandemic’s impact on child care programs and individual educators. This research paper presents findings from a survey of 953 California ECE programs and providers in June-July 2020. The results provide an in-depth view of the past year’s devastation and highlight the unseen costs of operating a child care program throughout the pandemic with little-to-no support.  Survey responses paint a grim picture of early educators fearing for their own health and the health of their families, of providers taking on personal credit card debt to cover program expenses, and a constant scramble to both find and afford essential cleaning supplies in order to meet new health and safety regulations. The key findings from this study should inform the strategic, equitable, and urgent allocation of American Rescue Plan Act stabilization funds in California over the coming months.

This research paper is part of the California ECE COVID-19 Impact Study and expands upon an initial data snapshot released in July 2020.