Who Stays in the Early Childhood Programs? Stability Starts with the Workforce

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The strength of the early childhood system depends on the strength of its workforce, but across the United States, the early childhood workforce faces persistent staff shortages, high turnover, and uneven training pathways. Child care programs struggle to recruit and retain qualified staff—creating instability for children, families, and employers who rely on dependable care.

Despite the importance of the workforce, policymakers often lack comprehensive data on the composition and stability of early childhood. State workforce registries (state systems that track information about the early childhood workforce) provide one of the most comprehensive sources of information, including roles, educational attainment, and participation over time.

This report analyzes state workforce registry data from eight states—Illinois, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Tennessee—to better understand the structure of the early childhood workforce and workforce retention patterns. It focuses on individuals working in licensed programs in direct care roles, including directors, teachers, assistant teachers, and home-based owners.