The time has come to alter the narrative we hold regarding teacher credentialing and teacher compensation that presumes adults’ career advancement is our end goal….our focus should be on improving young children’s schooling and life outcomes.
– Maurice Sykes, Executive Director Early Childhood Leadership Institute, expert from Moving Beyond False Choices for Early Childhood Educators, the New America series

What is a ‘good job‘ in early care and education? Many may reflect on the opportunities they have to impact the lives of children each day, the rewards of mentoring new educators in the field, and the personal values that align with stewarding play and childhood development with a whole child approach. However, to make sure that our field continues to advance and is elevated to the level of respect deserving of its contribution to society, we need jobs that provide fair and equal compensation, training, and professional growth opportunities. Data shows that we still have a wide gap to traverse to fairly compensate and recognize educators for their work.

Thankfully, we are making great strides in improving the working conditions and compensation for those within early childhood education. One project that is making significant strides in recruitment, retention, and investigating paths to better pay is the national Good Jobs Challenge.

The CAYL Institute is dedicated to a vision of the U.S. where the right to high-quality early care and education is embedded in public policy, professional practice, and familial engagement. Towards this vision, the CAYL Institute is participating in the national Good Jobs Challenge project sponsored by the U.S. Economic Development Administration. One of the main areas of focus for this project is child care.

The main goal for the child care project work is the creation of 850 jobs:

• 500 teachers and assistant teachers in center-based early education and care (EEC) programs
• 200 EEC-qualified lead teachers
• 100 Family Child Care providers
• 50 Family Child Care owners

CAYL’S project work is intended to unify and connect practitioner voices, with employers’ needs and investors’ priorities to: 1. Create a Child Care Workforce Sourcing, Development, and Employment System, and 2. Place candidates in 850 good child care jobs.

You can support this initiative by applying to be a vendor and documenting the work of this project. The CAYL Institute is looking for individuals or organizations familiar with early care and education workforce development, writing, and program evaluation to support this project beginning in August 2024. Read the full request for proposals here and apply before the July 12th deadline.