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A Letter From Our Directors: The Impact of the National ECE Workforce Center

May 2026

This edition of the newsletter includes a letter from our directors celebrating the achievements of the National ECE Workforce Center over the last three years. They also note that as we navigate the end of our federal funding, the organizations and individuals who work together on the Center will continue to collaborate with state and local partners to advance fundamental changes for the ECE workforce.

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New Resources: Workforce Pell Grants, Head Start Data & Models to Foster Systems Change

April 2026

Read on to discover products on Workforce Pell Grants and Head Start, as well as case studies detailing how the Center used its technical assistance models to foster systems change for the early care and education (ECE) workforce..

African american teacher engaging with a young toddler, who is focusing on a colorful wooden fishing game, promoting early childhood education and development in a bright daycare setting

New Analyses & Tools to Strengthen ECE Workforce Pay and Supports

April 2026

This newsletter is chock-full of new research-backed insights to support systems change for early educators—focusing on the needs of home-based and infant-toddler educators, strategies to finance wage scales, and evidence for building supportive systems for the workforce. Read on for practical, evidence-based tools you can use to improve compensation, workplace supports, and job quality across the ECE workforce.

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Ready to Drive Systems Change? Start With These Tools & Events

April 2026

This edition includes a recording of our “Driving Intentional Systems Change With and For the ECE Workforce” webinar, a feature on a new interactive to help change leaders better understand the Change Framework, a research agenda for strengthening the ECE workforce, and a new policy highlight with five strategies states are using to recognize early educators’ experience.

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Center Announcement

March 2026

Since 2023, the National ECE Workforce Center has received its funding via a grant from the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. While the Center was awarded as a five-year project to equip state and local leaders to drive change in ECE workforce policy and practice, we recently learned that we will not be receiving any additional federal funding to continue our work.

Teachers in an office together in the school that they work at. They are taking a break from teaching and bonding with each other while they discuss lessons.

New Tools and Lessons in Systems Change

February 2026

This issue features early learnings from an effort to strengthen compensation across three states, a report on a partnership to develop New Mexico’s unified wage scale, and an evaluation of an apprenticeship model in California. We also include our new Reflection Tool to help your team identify strategic leverage points for systems improvement.

Research Snack: The ECE Workforce in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities

November 2025

In this month’s Research Snack, we highlight research about ECE educators in American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities.

New Brief on Multi-Sector and Multi-Partner Collaboration in Systems Change

October 2025

The ECE workforce faces complex and persistent challenges like achieving competitive and fair compensation, establishing clear and accessible career pathways, and strengthening positive working conditions.

Research Snack: Family Child Care Educators in Pre-K Systems

October 2025

Family child care (FCC) educators play a critical role in early care and education (ECE) systems, offering care options that are preferred by many families seeking small-group, home-based learning settings for their children.

Research Snacks: Data-driven Decision Making

September 2025

“Data-driven decision making” is a driver in our Systems Change Framework. By systematically monitoring initiatives, analyzing results, refining strategies, and sharing insights, leaders can ensure change is both effective and sustainable.

Two New Briefs: Increasing Access to
Benefits for Early Educators and
Data-driven Decision Making in
Systems Change

September 2025

The National ECE Workforce Center is kicking off a busy fall season with the release of a new research-to-practice brief and the launch of a series of briefs on secondary drivers in our Change Framework.

Research Snacks: Supportive Work Environments and Early Educator Outcomes

August 2025

Along with compensation and benefits, aspects of early educators’ work environments shape their daily experiences and may contribute to educators’ health and well-being, reduced turnover, and a more stable workforce.

A Unified Wage Scale and Career Lattice in New Mexico

August 2025

It has been a busy summer of engaging with states and communities on their systems change goals!

NEW Brief: Providing Early Educators with Financial Relief for Higher Education

August 2025

Our new research-to-practice brief outlines five strategies states are using to promote early educators’ access to higher education, as well as opportunities to advance our knowledge of what strategies work best to meet early educators’ needs.

Research Snacks: What Benefits Do Family Child Care Networks Bring?

July 2025

Staffed family child care networks deliver a combination of services for family child care (FCC) educators, with specialized staff whose primary responsibility is working with participating FCC educators.

5 Additions to Your Summer Reading List

July 2025

Mid-way through the summer, you may be seeking new items for your reading list.

How Staffing Patterns Shape Work Environments for Early Educators

July 2025

Early educators are critical to creating safe, high-quality learning environments for children in early care and education (ECE) settings.