We work in partnership with the early care and education workforce.

The National Early Care and Education (ECE) Workforce Center is a joint research and technical assistance center that equips state and local leaders to drive change in ECE workforce policy. This center uses a research-to-practice model to strengthen compensation and career advancement for early educators. 


Our Publications

National ECE Workforce Center original resources that provide technical assistance support and evidence-based key considerations to strengthen compensation, career advancement, and workplace policies for the ECE workforce.

Benefits Offered to Center-Based Early Care and Education Educators

This National ECE Workforce Center research-to-practice brief describes new analyses of the 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education […]

Published 2025

Five Strategies for Supporting ECE Educators Through Career Advancement

This research-to-practice brief, produced by the National ECE Workforce Center, outlines key implementation strategies for supporting the current ECE workforce […]

Published 2025

Introduction to the ECE Workforce Systems Change Framework

Introduction to the ECE Workforce Systems Change Framework

This brief introduces the National ECE Workforce Center’s vision for strengthening the ECE workforce. It presents the ECE Workforce Systems […]

Published 2025

Featured Resources

Our collection of original and curated resources offers the latest research, practical guidance, and examples of innovation to inform the advancement of the ECE workforce. 

A collage of multiple colorful graphs

Guidance for Reporting Data on Your Early Care and Education Workforce

This brief offers an accessible, uniform format to effectively communicate the story of your early care and education (ECE) workforce. […]

Published 2024

Early Childhood Workforce Index 2024

This report, developed by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, provides a state-by-state look at policies and conditions […]

Published 2024

Early Care and Education Workforce Salary Scale Playbook: Implementation Guide

This implementation guide from the National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance guides readers through five actions that are essential to creating […]

Published 2024

Key Topics

The foundation of our work is based on five key policy areas, or key topics, sourced from the Early Childhood Workforce Index created by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE). Knowing that compensation and career advancement represent the most pressing needs of the field, we are currently prioritizing our work on these areas.

Compensation & Financial Relief Strategies

Investments and initiatives to ensure compensation equal to that of a skilled professional, accounting for an educator’s qualifications, expertise, and experience

Financial Resources

Public and private investment in the ECE workforce and broader ECE system

Qualifications & Educational Support

Policies and pathways that strengthen career pathways and access to degrees and credentials and provide consistent standards for educators to achieve higher education

Work Environment Standards

Standards for providing safe, supportive work environments for early educators

Workforce Data

State-level collection of data on the size, characteristics, and working conditions of the ECE workforce

Integrated Research & Policy Fellowship Program

The Integrated Research & Policy Fellowship is a 12-month paid program designed to support the leadership development of ECE professionals. The program provides an opportunity for emerging leaders to build their expertise on the ECE workforce while gaining skills to effectively bridge research and policy/practice.

Each cohort includes two policy fellows and two research fellows who participate in fellowship activities together focused on understanding the history underlying the current ECE system, developing communication and research translation skills, gaining insights into the policy process, and more.

Early Educator Advisory Board

Our Early Educator Advisory Board ensures that the work of the National ECE Workforce Center is meaningful and impactful to the workforce.

Serving as thought partners and advisors, this board contributes to activities across research and technical assistance and is composed of educators representing a variety of ECE settings, including home-based programs, Head Start, community-based centers, and state preschools. Board members receive honorariums for their time.

Family Child Care Provider, Advocate, and Trainer

Kristy DeGraaf

Infant and Toddler Early Head Start Educator

Doctoral student in Education Leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education

Doctoral student in Human Development and Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles