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.
How Staffing Patterns Shape Work Environments for Early Educators
Early educators are critical to creating safe, high-quality learning environments for children in early care and education (ECE) settings. But […]
Published 2025
Incorporating Early Educators’ Experience Into Career Pathways
Field experience is one way through which early educators can gain key competencies, but few states include experience as a […]
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
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.
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
Get Involved
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.
Meet our Fellows
