Early Childhood Workforce Index 2020
Type
Policy Brief or Report
Year
2020
Level
City or Town, County, State
State(s)
All States
Policy Areas
Children & Families, Economic Justice, Education, Public Safety
Despite their important and complex work, early educators have faced low wages and unsafe working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. This report demonstrates that compensation within the early childhood education (ECE) workforce is uneven across states and among different classifications of early educators (i.e. child care workers, preschool teachers, kindergarten teachers). It also recommends policies to improve ECE jobs, including initiatives to ensure compensation equal to the value of early educators' work, child care assistance for low-income workers, and paid sick leave policies.