Learn about our efforts to support early childhood educators through better pay, career growth, training programs, and improved program stability and quality.
Action steps
Support professional compensation for a strong and stable ECE workforce in all ECE programs
- Expanded Qualified Workforce Incentives (QWI) to include BA plus 12 ECE credits
- Care 4 Kids rates up 11% and state-funded preschool rates up 17% to stabilize programs
- $9M in wage supplement workforce payments
Pursue strategies that support ECE workforce recruitment and retention.
- Covered cost of background check fees
- $5M center-based workforce pilot for 400 apprentices
- Funded Family Child Care apprenticeship
- RFP issued for another round of ECE center apprenticeship programs
Simplify credentialing process. Adopt 3-step career ladder aligning compensation and credentials with the Unifying Framework (UF).
- Aligned requirements for Qualified Staff Member (QSM)
Help ECE programs maximize their fiscal health to support stability, quality, and increased workforce compensation.
- Increased Care 4 Kids and state-funded program rates to stabilize programs
- Funded Women’s Business Development Council to provide technical assistance and emergency grants
Expand strategies to support improved quality of early childhood programs.
- Launched Pyramid work with family child care homes
- 175 providers bonused $1,480 for Elevate plans
- Increased Family Child Care accreditation by 40%
- Increased Child Care Centers accreditation by 4%
Check out our Blue Ribbon Panel Year One Progress graphic
Our graphic gives an overview of our action steps in each of our 4 focus areas.
Download or view the Year One Progress visual.
Last updated December 20, 2024