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Welcome to the Workforce Behind the Workforce! This new monthly column explores how child care helps communities work and learn.
Early childhood education (ECE) is the foundation of a strong workforce. The caring teachers and program leaders who provide high-quality ECE opportunities for America’s children are, as the title suggests, the workforce behind the workforce. Access to affordable, high-quality child care is an economic imperative. Without it, parents cannot work, employers cannot operate efficiently and productively, and communities cannot grow. Despite its critical role, child care remains underfunded, leading to low wages and limited benefits for its workforce, as well as high turnover and labor shortages for its programs. Employers in all industries rely on high-quality, accessible child care to recruit and retain their workers; the ECE industry should not have to solve the child care crisis alone.
To launch this column, I’d like to share a success story about the power of strengthening the ECE workforce. The Early Education Career Institute (EECI) is a national nonprofit that provides debt-free training for early childhood educators and strengthens the ECE workforce by sponsoring a Registered Apprenticeship (RA) program in 14 states.
With an 88% completion rate and a 100% job placement rate for program completers, EECI sponsors over 300 active apprentices nationwide through their competency-based early childhood educator RA program, recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. This robust program is included on six state workforce development Eligible Training Provider Lists (ETPLs). It is strengthened by the funding support they receive from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and Apprenticeship Carolina through the Workforce Readiness Grant (WRG).
EECI is committed to workforce development for child care providers and has developed two dedicated workforce hubs, including a full-service hub in Indiana. This hub serves over 150 apprentices and collaborates with six employers who create meaningful employment pathways for individuals with multilingual experience. EECI aims to equip aspiring early childhood educators with the necessary skills and resources to thrive while addressing the growing demand for qualified professionals by fostering a supportive environment with opportunities for all.
So, what does all this look like in a community? EECI’s work with ECE program employer partner A Child’s World has positively impacted Indianapolis, Indiana, by enabling A Child’s World to create 150 new childcare slots and opening two new buildings to serve more families. The RA program has helped improve A Child’s World’s quality rating in Indiana’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), Paths to QualityTM program. QRISs give families an easy-to-recognize tool for selecting a quality child care program. The ripple effect of ensuring and growing the availability of high-quality child care slots in the Indianapolis community has meant more parents can go to work, and more children are better prepared to enter kindergarten.
In the coming months, we will explore topics such as how strengthening the workforce behind the workforce benefits various community members, how Registered Apprenticeship can be one of many strategies to address the child care crisis, examples of child care and workforce board partnerships, and other success stories of the workforce behind the workforce. Stay tuned!
