Strengths and Assets of the Early Childhood Workforce

Dear Colleagues,

The ECE workforce provides highly specialized services to support the early development of children amid high demands; however, there is presently tension in the field between recruiting, retaining, and advancing a highly qualified workforce and maintaining a high quality and quantity of program conditions and available supports. As a result, there is an ongoing discussion about how to advance the profession and also support the wellbeing of the early childhood workforce. Previous approaches to this work have stemmed largely from a deficit model emphasizing the need to improve teaching quality by increasing workforce knowledge and skills, primarily via educational and professional development programs. Additionally, there is need for holistic perspectives that consider the extent of interrelatedness of ECE workforce conditions, quality, and wellbeing, as a majority of research examines these factors separately. Specifically, to understand what leads to persistence in the ECE field, we must examine the personal capacities of the ECE workforce in combination with professional supports. For these reasons, there is need for strength-based research on the experiences, skills, resources, and assets the early childhood workforce possesses. By utilizing an approach that considers the many positive characteristics and experiences of the workforce, we can create a narrative that emphasizes strengths and provides rich discussion for meaningful levers of change to grow the workforce in positive directions.

Early childhood professionals include individuals paid to care for, educate, or provide services to children aged 0-5 years old and their families aimed at improving their lives. These professionals may serve in a variety of ECE settings including family childcare, faith-based programs, center-based care, Early Head Start, Head Start, and Pre-K. This includes, but is not limited to, caregivers, teachers, administrators, program leaders, and direct service providers.

This Special Issue of Education Sciences aims to address gaps in existing scholarly work by providing original empirical studies (employing qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods research designs) and systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses that address the following topics (among others):

1. How do the strengths and assets of the ECE workforce interact with environmental conditions to promote quality?
2. A holistic approach to teaching quality that includes the strengths and assets of the ECE workforce.
3. Person-centered approaches examining the strengths and assets of the ECE workforce.
4. What skills and resources does the ECE workforce have available to provide culturally competent services and support diverse learners?
5. What formal and informal supports facilitate aspects of workforce wellbeing within ECE programs?
6. What experiences, skills, resources, and assets are related to ECE workforce persistence?
7. What resources, approaches, and policies have been effective in supporting and advancing the ECE workforce?

Dr. Michelle Taylor
Dr. Christina Stephens
Guest Editors

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• ECE workforce
• early childhood professionals
• early care and education