Recognition of the profession

Understanding the best ways to support the well-being of the child care and early education (CCEE) workforce is important for states and CCEE programs. CCEE teachers and caregivers have demanding jobs and receive low compensation for their work—a combination that often negatively affects their well-being. Research has linked CCEE workforce well-being to several important outcomes, including staff turnover, responsiveness to children’s needs, and collaborations with families. CCEE teachers and caregivers also have roles outside of their profession, and deserve to be well for themselves and their families. Research on CCEE teacher and caregiver well-being points to the effects they can experience personally, including high levels of stress, low access to food, unstable housing, and putting off medical care because of cost.

Historically, research on CCEE workforce well-being has primarily focused on poor mental health (specifically depressive symptoms) and its link to responsive caregiving. This research has focused on disparities in well-being among different types of teachers and caregivers, as well as disparities between the CCEE workforce and other sectors. Only in the past decade have researchers focused on a more holistic definition of well-being, on ways to improve well-being, and on tailored strategies that may be needed to improve CCEE workforce well-being across different types of settings.

Mallory Warner and Annie Davis Schoch

Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation - U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

2024

Building a strong, reliable, and high-quality ECEC workforce yields positive results that significantly impact the well-being of young children and enable their rounded and healthy development. Therefore, investing in continuous professional development (CPD) and growth of the ECEC workforce must stay high on the agenda of relevant stakeholders, enabling and promoting high-quality programs.

In this analysis, the PIQET consortium delves deeper into the context of CPD and sheds light on professionals delivering in-service continuous professional development opportunities. Why PIQET emphasizes the professionals delivering in-service continuous professional development opportunities and their professional growth and development? Because their professional development does not get enough attention in research and professional discourse, consequently, does not get the recognition when addressing the complexity of quality in ECEC and primary school education.

This analysis provides a comprehensive view of the CPD landscape for CPD Educators, pinpointing challenges and proposing actionable solutions. Committed to shedding light on this often-neglected aspect, PIQET's goal is to heighten the discussion around it, through quality principles that will guide both CPD educators and CPD-providing organizations in ensuring high-quality CPD opportunities and nurturing the professional development of CPD Educators.

Access the analysis and country reports here.

Educational Research Institute Slovenia, Open Academy Step by Step in Croatia, and the International Step by Step Association

2023

The PIQET Principles represent a groundbreaking initiative under the Erasmus+ project, designed to elevate the standard of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for educators across diverse educational landscapes. Authored by a consortium including the Educational Research Institute in Slovenia, Open Academy Step by Step in Croatia, and the International Step by Step Association, this resource articulates a set of nine comprehensive principles aimed at refining the recruitment, training, and ongoing support of CPD educators. These principles are meticulously crafted to address the core needs of educator development, emphasizing subject expertise, diversity and inclusion, participant-centered planning, and continuous self-improvement among others.

Rooted in the values of social justice, equity, and inclusion, the PIQET Principles serve as both a policy framework and a hands-on tool, offering quality statements, indicators, and reflective questions to guide CPD educators in enhancing their practice. This document not only aims to foster a shared understanding of CPD quality across educational institutions but also encourages active contribution and professional engagement within the CPD community, setting a new benchmark for educator professional development globally.

Access the resource here.

Educational Research Institute Slovenia, Open Academy Step by Step in Croatia, and the International Step by Step Association

2023

The SEEPRO-3 study presented here is the fourth in a series of research projects based at the State Institute of Early Childhood Research and Media Literacy (IFP) in Munich and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Family and Youth Affairs (Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend). The new SEEPRO-3 study¹ focuses on the 27 member states of the European Union and six non-EU countries - a total of 33 countries. Reports on the early childhood workforce and the early childhood education and care (ECEC) systems in Norway, Switzerland and Serbia are presented for the first time in this context.

Learn more about the history of the SEEPRO project.

Throughout Europe, early childhood education and care (ECEC) systems are continuously evolving through expansion and consolidation, with reforms and innovations shaping many countries. ECEC staff are essential for quality interactions, stimulating environments, and supporting children's wellbeing and learning. However, nearly all countries report staff shortages, highlighting the need to update data on the qualifications and competencies of early childhood leaders, pedagogues, and assistants.

This homepage presents results from the fourth SEEPRO-3 project, with documents for 33 countries. Each country's profile includes:

1. ECEC Workforce Profile (Country Report): Details on qualification requirements, workforce composition, professional education systems, reform initiatives, research projects, and working conditions. These reports, provided by long-term partners, were compiled based on a research specification and reflect extensive collaboration.
2. Key Contextual Data Synopsis (Country-Specific Background Information): Overview of the ECEC system and demographic data, compiled by the project team and reviewed with supplementary data from partners.

Documents are available in English and German, serving a wide audience including educators, government officials, employers, researchers, early years staff, and other stakeholders across Europe and beyond.

Access the country profiles here.

SEEPRO-3

2024

South Australia is committed to providing every child with a strong start by investing $96.6 million over four years to grow and support the early childhood workforce. This investment will prepare for the universal 3-year-old preschool program set to roll out between 2026 and 2032.

Key Objectives:

• Increase Workforce Numbers: Recruit and train more qualified early childhood teachers and educators.
  Support the professional development of the current workforce.
• Ensure Quality Education: Provide access to allied health and community services professionals to enhance early childhood services.
• Support Aboriginal Workforce: Focus on growing and supporting the Aboriginal early childhood workforce.
  Leverage Aboriginal cultural knowledge for the benefit of all children.
• Collaborative Implementation: Work in partnership with professionals, sector experts, service providers, Aboriginal communities, educational institutions, peak bodies, unions, and other stakeholders.

Access the Full Strategic Plan via the download button below.

Office for Early Childhood Development

2024

This 2024 study highlights the importance of maintaining a stable early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce, essential for enabling family employment and positive child outcomes. Globally, retaining qualified early childhood educators remains a challenge. This research explores the factors influencing educators' and center directors' intentions to leave the profession, using survey responses from 713 professionals and detailed feedback from 97 participants.

Key findings include:

• One in three professionals intend to leave the sector, with over half planning to do so within five years.
• Emotional exhaustion is a significant predictor of this intention.
• For center directors, higher personal accomplishment and older age increase the likelihood of intending to leave.
• For educators, lower satisfaction with pay, benefits, and lower qualification levels are critical factors.

Qualitative data reveal that feeling undervalued, increased demands with inadequate support, and workforce issues drive the intention to leave. Addressing these factors through targeted interventions could improve workforce stability. This study is particularly relevant in Australia, where supporting the ECEC workforce is a current political focus, presenting an opportunity for meaningful changes.

Early Childhood Research Quarterly

2024

This report offers an analysis of the application of the ILO (2014) Policy Guidelines on the Promotion of Decent Work for ECE Personnel and provides recommendations for review. It addresses key themes, including the voluntary nature of a commitment level among state and non-state stakeholders, challenges in holding governments accountable without legal obligations, and the difficulties in establishing a standardised and workable monitoring framework.

The report highlights the significance of the ILO Guidelines in promoting decent work for Early Childhood Personnel (ECP), while acknowledging the need to address challenges to ensure universal implementation and accountability. The research emphasizes the ongoing global efforts to assess and advance the progress of the ILO Guidelines by Education International, which aligns with the 10th anniversary of promoting decent work for ECP.

Colette Byrne, Mercedes Mayol Lassalle, Carolina Semmoloni, Mathias Urban

Education International

2024

This policy brief presents the causes and consequences of ECEC staff shortages as well as possible measures to address these shortages.

Within the context of the European Education Area (EEA) strategic framework, the working group on early childhood education and care (ECEC WG) supports EU members states to implement the European Quality Framework for ECEC, which is a key part of the 2019 Council Recommendation on High-Quality ECEC Systems. Throughout 2022-2023, the ECEC WG has been focusing on the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of quality in ECEC. This topic is one of the five pillars supporting the provision of quality. In addition, the group discusses a number of topics related to the organisation and the quality of the ECEC sector, such as staff shortages or providing support to Ukrainian refugees.

Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (European Commission)

2023

The Parent Support Workforce Needs Assessment Tool aims to help officials within Ministries and government agencies reflect on the ways in which they can support personnel delivering parent support programs for pregnant mothers and caregivers with children under 3. This tool is relevant for programs embedded in primary healthcare as well as those that are delivered across other sectors, including social/child protection, nutrition, and education. Drawing inspiration from the UNICEF Pre-Primary Diagnostic and Planning Tool and the Early Childhood Workforce Initiative, this tool is intended for countries with parent support programs at either the sub-national or national levels. The scope of this tool includes parent support facilitators, community health workers, nurses, social workers, and other frontline providers who work directly with young children and their families, as well as supervisors and trainers, working to deliver programs primarily in community settings and/or in health clinics.

Results for Development and International Step by Step Association

2023

Early childhood home visiting programs support pregnant women and families with young children so they can be healthy, safe, and better prepared to reach their goals. The success of these programs is dependent upon recruiting and retaining a skilled, committed, and satisfied workforce. This brief summarizes findings from the Home Visiting Career Trajectories study—a national study of the home visiting workforce—on workplace factors in recruiting and retaining qualified staff.

This document investigates the characteristics of home visitors and their supervisors, the characteristics of home visiting jobs, and the factors that contribute to the recruitment and retention of home visitors. It provides information on the career pathways and work experiences of home visitors and their supervisors to support Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) awardees, local programs, and home visiting model developers in recruiting, training, and retaining qualified staff. The document presents the findings of a national descriptive study of the home visiting workforce in local agencies receiving MIECHV funding, with a focus on the workplace factors that relate to home visitor recruitment and retention.

Sarah Benatar, Amelia Coffey, and Heather Sandstrom

2020