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Innovative State Strategies for Supporting the ECE Workforce
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Foundation for Child Development Grants in Action
In a series of briefs, Child Trends highlights innovative strategies leveraging state policies, practices, and funding to strengthen the early care and education (ECE) workforce and to benefit the children they serve.
The ECE workforce experiences shared challenges nationwide, such as inadequate compensation and supports for paths towards attaining credentials and higher education degrees. These state spotlights were developed to serve as resources to explore how Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, and Pennsylvania implemented promising initiatives and programs to support the workforce and address issues facing the field. Unique strategies for preparing and compensating practitioners include early childhood apprenticeships, business training, and flexible salary bonuses.
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Strategy highlights within the State Spotlight series include:
- Arkansas' fiscal health initiative improves professional learning by focusing professional development supports on knowledge of business management operations and practices for both center-based and family child care programs.
- Georgia's Project LITTLE, Lifting Infants and Toddlers Through Language and Literacy Activities, provides a tailored, data-driven approach to coaching and professional development for professionals in centers and family child care programs.
- Indiana's Partnerships for Early Learners found success in helping ECE professionals advance their education through scholarships to obtain a Child Development Associate credential, a bachelor’s degree, or master's-level teaching certificate.
- Louisiana established a credential called the Early Childhood Ancillary Certificate to set minimum education and training requirements for lead teachers in child care settings receiving public funding. Scholarships and tax credits are also a key part of a system of incentives and supports implemented to ensure completion of required trainings and encourage teacher retention.
- Minnesota’s Retaining Early Educators Through Attaining Incentives Now (R.E.E.T.A.I.N.) effort offers salary bonuses to highly-qualified center-based and family child care professionals to support their retention in the field. R.E.E.T.A.I.N provides ECE professionals with the flexibility to utilize the funding in ways that suit their needs and complements the state’s T.E.A.C.H program.
- Montana is working to retain a qualified ECE workforce through its Montana Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program (MECAP) that provides ECE teachers with on-the-job training, mentorship, and the opportunity to earn college credit in core ECE courses. MECAP's unique cross-organizational partnership, leveraging the expertise of multiple state agencies, provides effective supports to develop and sustain the program.
- Pennsylvania’s innovative Early Childhood Education Apprenticeship Program collaborates with higher education partners to help teachers attain an ECE associate or a bachelor's degree by integrating on-the-job learning, academic supports, mentorship, and wage increases.
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ABOUT US Research, policy and practice—we connect these pieces to help build early childhood systems that enable children to reach their full potential. Founded in 1900, the Foundation for Child Development identifies needs, fills gaps and integrates knowledge for successful implementation and continuous improvement. Learn more about our focus areas and download resources by clicking these links:
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