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Spotlight on the Head Start Workforce: Program Strategies to Improve Well-Being and Increase Retention

This brief draws on data from the 2021—2022 Study of Family and Staff Well-Being in Head Start FACES Programs (2021—2022 Study) to examine the strategies programs used to improve staff retention and well-being. Using data collected in spring 2022 after more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, this brief describes the types of strategies programs used to support and retain teaching and non-teaching staff, the staffing challenges centers experienced, and the associations between the two.

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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

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