In this article, Deborah Phillips, Lea Austin, and Marcy Whitebook examine educational preparation, compensation, and professional development among the early childhood workforce. Their central theme is that these features look very different for preschool teachers than they do for the elementary school teaching workforce. Most teachers of…

Noting that little research about stability and continuity in the child care workforce has focused on the fast-growing sector of license-exempt informal relative care, this report focuses on labor turnover among subsidized license-exempt providers as part of a larger longitudinal study of all sectors of the child care workforce in Alameda County,…

Describes how the salary enhancement initiative was implemented within Head Start agencies. Presents findings on impact of increased salaries on recruitment and retention of qualified staff. Outlines challenges for implementing salary improvements, including determining the basis for financial reward. Makes recommendations regarding the funds…

Examined job/occupational instability among child care teachers and directors. Found that over half of teachers and a third of directors had left their centers 4 years after initial interviews. Highly trained teachers were more likely to leave jobs if they earned lower wages, worked in less stable climate, or worked with greater percentage of…

The term "registry" has become a catchall phrase for various vehicles that states are using to build more coherent professional development systems for the early care and education (ECE) field. This policy brief presents the results of a recent nationwide survey of ECE workforce registries, brief profiles of registries in nine states, an…

In response to rising demand for information on the child care workforce, the Center for the Child Care Workforce (CCW) and the Human Services Policy Center (HSPC) have initiated a 2-year project to develop a framework and methodology for quantifying the size and characteristics of the U.S. child care workforce, focusing on the workforce serving…

Addressed to teachers, administrators, resource and referral workers, and substitutes, this booklet offers advice about finding and retaining good substitute child care workers. Sections concern (1) causes of the "crisis" in substitute care, including the expansion of child care, provider turnover, shortage of elementary school teachers,…

Researchers interviewed 95 staff members of San Francisco child care centers to learn about salaries, working conditions and job satisfaction. Explores why the turnover rate at most child care centers in the United States is higher than the national average for most workers in human services fields. (Author/RH)

This report analyzes emerging workforce issues as California develops a universal preschool system, focusing on service delivery mechanisms, workforce standards for staff qualifications and compensation, and professional development and higher education system capacity. The review covers current conditions, emerging questions, research findings,…

Research Findings: This study examines child care centers that improved quality and sustained these improvements over time. Quality was assessed using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scales (ECERS). Forty-three centers were visited three times over six years. Centers that substantially improved by Time 2 were not initially rated better than…

Based on the "Taking On Turnover" training series conducted by the Center for the Child Care Workforce, this action guide for center-based child care teachers and directors is designed to assist in managing and reducing the increasingly serious problem of job turnover in the child care profession. Following several introductory sections,…

This longitudinal study examined quality indicators in child care centers in three California communities in 1994, 1996, and 2000. Data were collected by means of interviews with teachers and directors and from classroom observations. Data collection in 1994 and 1996 focused on centers seeking NAEYC accreditation; the 2000 sample of 75 centers…

Describes difficulties in locating accurate data on child care workers: numbers, occupational categories, salaries, differences in education and experience, and data on enrollment in training programs and final job choices. Advocates the formation of a review panel to guide agencies' efforts to clarify their current data collection systems. (KS)

This report presents the most recent salary and benefits data available for the U.S. child care workforce. Median level child care salaries are compared to the median salaries of other occupations. In addition, data for average wages of preschool teachers and child care workers are presented for each state, with information on wages available by…

This report presents the most recent salary and benefits data available for the U.S. child care workforce. Mean and median level child care salaries are compared to the median salaries of other occupations. In addition, data for average wages of preschool teachers and child care workers are presented for each state, with information on wages…