Hawaiʻi’s early care and education (ECE) workforce faces persistent challenges related to low wages, high turnover, and the state’s high cost of living—factors that affect program stability, access to care for families, and overall system quality. The Center for Early Learning Funding Equity (CELFE), in partnership with the Early Childhood Educator Excellence and Equity Project at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, developed this policy brief to propose a data-informed statewide salary scale for Hawaiʻi’s ECE workforce. The scale is designed to support workforce stabilization and professional advancement by aligning compensation with qualifications and responsibilities across both center-based and family child care settings.

Drawing on focus groups with educators, labor market data, and national research, the brief outlines a recommended salary scale for the ECE workforce in Hawaiʻi and highlights funding strategies used in other states to improve early childhood compensation.

Read the full brief to learn more.