Overview

CELFE is committed to promoting innovative, transformative, and implementable strategies to support a high-quality early care and education (ECEC) workforce. We know the ECEC workforce is foundational to building a high-quality system of care that meets the developmental and early learning needs of children. To accomplish our goals, we need to compensate and support the workforce not just to maintain the ones we have – but to recruit and grow a highly qualified pipeline for future generations. As CELFE engages with different states as they struggle with their own version of the workforce crisis, we are excited to share and expand our own learnings and develop a ‘toolbox’ to help the profession think comprehensively about building our workforce.

To date, we have supported the ideation and analysis of provider-oriented funding mechanisms – funds distributed to providers through grants or contracts – to help stabilize the field. From supporting the creation of long-term salary targets for states’ ECEC workforce to providing in-depth research on retirement and other benefits, we are laser-focused on identifying and addressing the problems crippling our field while being creative and open to innovative, bold solutions. We are eager to support and work side-by-side with states and localities to address their unique ECEC workforce compensation needs.