Research study

The Guidelines to Strengthen the Social Service Workforce for Child Protection 2018 (the Guidelines), developed in consultation with UNICEF Headquarters and regional offices and the Global Social Service Workforce Alliancec (GSSWA), are informed by evidence of ‘what works’ and lessons learned in the field. They are designed to accelerate UNICEF regional and country offices’ programming on social service workforce strengthening, and support work to better plan, develop and support the social services workforce with national and regional partners. The Guidelines are intended to complement the Programme Guidance on Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Children and Adolescents (Programme Guidance on VAC), recognizing that a qualified social service workforce, paid and unpaid, government and non-governmental professionals and para-professionals are often the first line of response for children and families and the most important element of a well-functioning child protection system.

Global Social Service Workforce Alliance, UNICEF

2019

This global survey, which presents information on 426 programs in 121 countries in all world regions, aims to fill in existing gaps in our knowledge about the status of IECD and ECI programs internationally. Specifically, the main objectives of the survey were to: 1) Map current implementation of IECD and ECI programs and related activities; 2) Describe key IECD and ECI program features; 3) Identify gaps and challenges in providing accessible IECD and ECI services; 4) Document factors associated with successful implementation and scale-up; and 5) Generate recommendations to inform future policy and program development and national planning and implementation efforts.

The study reports program types and participants, legal frameworks that support the development and implementation of programs, program objectives, multi-sectoral cooperation, service provision, financial support and parent involvement across regions. In addition, the study highlights the barriers and enabling factors that can support the development, expansion and improvement of IECD and ECI programs. Based on the robust findings and conclusions of the study, the authors formulate 20 recommendations that can support the development, scale up and effectiveness of the IECD and ECI services globally and at the same time they issue a Call for a global agenda for the improvement and expansion of IECD and ECI programs.

RISE Institute, UNICEF, Early Childhood Development Task Force

2019

Resisting Neoliberalism: Professionalisation of Early Childhood Education and Care focuses on the professionalization of early childhood in Australia, Chile, England, Germany, Ireland and the United States.

This paper questions how the sector manages the constraints imposed by a neoliberal political and social world and calls upon manages the constraints imposed on it in a neoliberal political and social world. It calls on professionals to take a stand in terms of what is considered best practice. The paper further argues that continued debate is needed around the boundaries of what is called the early childhood profession, considering the ways in which the education, health and welfare sectors contribute to a holistic approach balanced against the requirement for a profession to have an identified and discrete body of knowledge.

Mary Moloney, Margaret Sims, Antje Rothe, Cynthia Buettner

International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education

2019

The early years workforce in England from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) compares conditions and characteristics of childcare workers with those in occupations that are often regarded as career alternatives.

The report highlights several key findings:

• A large proportion of childcare workers are struggling financially
• Sector recruitment problems: immediate and long-term
• The workforce has low qualifications, which could affect the quality of childcare provision
• The workforce remains predominantly female

Money, love and identity: Initial findings from the National ECEC Workforce Study shares the initial findings of a National Early Childhood Education and Care Workforce study – a three-year national study funded by the Australian Research Council. In addition to findings from the study, this report shares key takeaways from conversations during a workshop hosted by the researchers. Capturing responses from participants of this 76-delegate workshop, here you can find observations and insights into emerging themes and the implications they have for policy and practice.

This report reviews the following topics:
1. An overview of initial findings from the ECEC Workforce Study
2. Interesting and surprising findings about tensions in ECEC
3. A summary of participant responses to the study findings and other prioritized workforce topics
4. Key themes responding to the question – looking forward, in an ideal world, what is one ‘must have’ in a national ECEC Workforce Strategy?

The Erasmus+ report, Professionalisation of Childcare Assistants in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC): Pathways towards Qualification, focuses on reviewing profiles of ECEC assistants in 15 European countries, as well as the professionalization opportunities available to them. The report makes recommendations on how pathways for qualification and continuous professional development (CPD) can be created for assistants. Examples from Denmark, France and Slovenia show some successful pathways in these areas.

Several key findings were introduced in the report. The first is that ECEC assistants are not recognized in policy documents or research. This is unacceptable considering the high number of assistants in the ECEC workforce. Additionally, ECEC assistants have little opportunity to receive the same qualification as a core practitioner. There should be investment in systems that reward the work of all staff, and opportunities to be upwardly mobile at work. This includes increasing the number of opportunities for professional development that assistants have access to. European countries do not generally provide funding for staff’s non-contact time, causing assistants to miss out on reflection time with their teams.

The brief entitled, California’s ECE Workforce: What We Know Now and the Data Deficit That Remains,takes a look at three recent resources centered on the early childhood workforce in California. These include:

1) local workforce data sources from three counties;
2) annual federal data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; and
3) California-specific data drawn from the 2012 National Survey of Early Care and Education

Though using various datasets presents challenges, this document presents data aimed at better understanding the current status of the early childhood education workforce in California.

A Comparative Study of Pre-service Education for Preschool Teachers in China and the United States provides a comparative analysis of the pre-service education system for preschool educators in China and the United States. Based on collected data and materials (literature, policy documents, and statistical data).

Comparisons are made between two areas of pre-service training:

1. the formal system;
2. the informal system.

In the formal system, most of the Chinese preschool teachers are trained in secondary school, though the system is shifting toward a higher reliance on associate degree programs. On the other hand, the majority of preschool teachers in the United States receive pre-service education in bachelor’s degree and associate degree programs. The study examines how the United States has relied more on the formal system to train and prepare preschool teachers, while China has focused on informal pre-service training for candidates without an early childhood background.

This study concludes with a discussion of trends for possible reforms in the two countries; it also includes lessons for elevating preschool teacher preparation.

Culture and Practice in Early Childhood Teacher Education: A Comparative and Qualitative Study focuses on two early childhood teacher education programs in contexts where the participants are undergoing rapid social and personal change. The first is a program in Namibia, and the second is a program for immigrant childcare educators in Canada.

The study's objective is to provide in-depth understanding of the ways in which differing ideas about teacher education are reflected in practice. It stresses the importance of education programs that prepare teachers to ensure young children are ready for school, and maintain meaningful connections to the culture and language of the home community. Without such connections, many children in settings undergoing rapid change will continue to drop out of school before literacy and other skills are firmly established.

The study uses ethnographic methods to undertake fieldwork in teacher education classrooms at the two research sites over a period of two terms. The central research question focuses on the way conceptions of young children’s preschool needs are played out in each setting. The data stems from analysis of early childhood care and education and teacher education curricula; policy and other documents; focused observations in teacher education classrooms and teaching practice; and interviews with teacher educators, education officers, teachers, parents, and community leaders.

This report is the final report of the CARE project (Curriculum Quality Analysis and Impact Review of European ECEC). It aims to highlight priorities in ECEC professional development and develop recommendations regarding high-quality provisions for common EU policies. Six policy priorities are identified in throughout the report:

• in-service and ongoing professional development;
• the leveraging of communities of practice (CoP) and communities of innovation (CoI);
• quality in professional development;
• innovative approaches to professional development; and
• addressing the vulnerable through professional development.

As ECEC's policies and systems evolve, so does the work and expectations of those working in the field. This emphasizes the importance of enhanced, continuous professional development.

You may also like Report on “good practice” case studies of professional development in three countries from the CARE project.