The child care workforce

The landmark comparative report of early childhood education and care (ECEC) carried out by the OECD, Starting strong: Early childhood education and care" (2001), identified key elements of policy essential to quality ECEC. The report especially notes the importance of "appropriate training and working conditions for staff in all forms of provision." This recommendation is also clearly supported by a vast amount of empirical research. The OECD specifically suggests that:

"Quality ECEC depends on strong staff training and fair working conditions across the sector. Initial and in-service training might be broadened to take into account the growing educational and social responsibilities of the profession. There is a critical need to develop strategies to recruit and retain a qualified and diverse, mixed-gender workforce and to ensure that a career in ECEC is satisfying, respected and financially viable."

Following are recommended readings (both online and in print) about the early childhood workforce.

• The importance of training and fair working conditions: What does the research tell us? —a list of empirical research demonstrating the relationship between training and fair working conditions to high quality.
• What does the early childhood workforce look like?
  What does the early childhood workforce look like in other countries?
  —readings about the early childhood workforce in Canada and in other countries.
• Other factors that affect the early childhood workforce —readings about other factors that directly impact the conditions of the early childhood sector.

Each section is listed in chronological order starting from the most recent documents in the beginning.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING AND FAIR WORKING CONDITIONS: WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH TELL US?

Online resources

Starting strong: Early childhood education and care
SOURCE Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2001
Resources from the Thematic Review.

Then and now: Changes in child care staffing, 1994-2000 - technical report
Whitebook, M., Sakai, L., Lombardi, J. & Culbreth, J.
Center for the Child Care Workforce, 2001 (U.S)
Full study.

Child care cost and quality
Helburn, S.
The Future of Children, 6 (2) 2001
Full article.

Building the career corridor: Manitoba's early childhood labour market strategy project report
Mayer, Debra
Manitoba Child Care Association, 2001
Full report and executive summary.

The effects of specialized training on caregivers and children in early-years settings: An evaluation of the foundation course in playgroup practice
Rhodes, S. and Hennessy, E.
Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 15 (4), 2000
Abstract.

Worthy work, unlivable wages: The national child care staffing study
Center for the Child Care Workforce, 1998 (U.S.)
Full study.

The prediction of process quality from structural features of child care
Philipsen, P.
Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 12 (3), 1997 (U.S.)
Abstract.

Who cares? Child care teachers and the quality of care in America - Final report of the National Child Care Staffing Study
Whitebook, M., Howes, C. & Phillips, D.
Berkeley, California: Child Care Employee Project, 1989 (U.S.)
Full study.

Print resources

Juorio, M. (2001). The need for a well-trained workforce. In Cleveland & Krashinsky (Eds.), Our children's future: child care policy in Canada (pp.397). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Jacobs, E. (2001). The role of caregiver training. In Cleveland & Krashinsky (Eds.), Our children's future: child care policy in Canada (pp. 169). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Read, M. (2000). Early childhood care and education learning outcomes. Research Connections, 4, pp 47. Ottawa: Canadian Child Care Federation.

Doherty, G. (2000). What does the research tell us? Research Connections, 5, Ottawa: Canadian Child Care Federation.

Whitebook, M. & Bellm, D. (1999). Taking on turnover. Washington : Centre for the Child Care Workforce.

Doherty, G. (1995). Quality matters: Excellence in early childhood programs. Don Mills, Ontario: Addison Wesley Publishers.

Whitebook, M., Howes, C. & Phillips, D. (1989). Who cares? Child care teachers and the quality of care in America - Final report of the National Child Care Staffing Study. Berkeley, California: Child Care Employee Project.

Philips, D. & Howes, C. (1988). Indicators of quality child care: A review of research. In Phillips (Ed.) Quality in child care: what does the research tell us?, (pp 19). Washington: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

WHAT DOES THE EARLY CHILDHOOD WORKFORCE LOOK LIKE?

Online resources

Building the career corridor: Manitoba's early childhood labour market strategy project report
Mayer, Debra
Manitoba Child Care Association, 2001
Full report and executive summary.

Human resources in child care
[Special issue of Interaction] Interaction, 15 (3) pp 21-30
Canadian Child Care Federation, 2001
Full magazine issue.

You Bet I Care! Report 1: A Canada-wide study on centres wages, working conditions, and practices in child care centres
Doherty, G., LaGrange, A., Lero, D., Goelman, H. & Tougas, J.
Centre For Families, Work and Well-Being, 2001
See chapters 2,4,6,8 & 12 in full report.

You Bet I Care! Report 2: Caring and learning environments: Quality in child care centres across Canada
Doherty, G., LaGrange, A., Lero, D., Goelman, H. & Tougas, J.
Centre For Families, Work and Well-Being, 2001
Full report.

You Bet I Care! Report 3: Quality in regulated family child care across Canada
Doherty, G., LaGrange, A., Lero, D., Goelman, H. & Tougas, J.
Centre For Families, Work and Well-Being, 2001
Full report.

You Bet I Care! Report 4: Policies and practices in Canadian family child care agencies
Doherty, G., LaGrange, A., Lero, D., Goelman, H. & Tougas, J.
Centre For Families, Work and Well-Being, 2001
Full report.

Futures 2000: Early childhood educators and assistants
Human Resources Development Canada, 2001.
Resource.

Print resources

Goelman, H. (2001) Training, quality and the lived experience of child care. In Cleveland & Krashinsky (Eds.) Our children's future: child care policy in Canada (pp142) Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Beach, J., Bertrand J. & Cleveland, G.. (1998). Our child care workforce: From recognition to renumeration. Ottawa: Child Care Sector Study Steering Committee.

Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada & Canadian Child Care Federation. (1992). Caring for a living: A study on wages and working conditions in Canadian child care. Ottawa: Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada.

WHAT DOES THE EARLY CHILDHOOD WORKFORCE LOOK LIKE IN OTHER COUNTRIES?

Online resources

Starting strong: Early childhood education and care
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2001
Full reports
(Between 1998 and 2000, twelve OECD countries volunteered to participate in an international review of early childhood education and care. The participating countries were: Australia, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Each country presented a background report followed by an OECD country review. Each report includes information regarding training and workforce issues. The background reports and country reviews can be found online at the OECD website under early childhood education and care.)

Current data on child care salaries and benefits in the United States
Center for the Child Care Workforce, 2002
Full report.

Worthy work, unlivable wages: The national child care staffing study
Center for the Child Care Workforce, 1998
Full study.

Child care in the United States today
Hofferth, S.
The Future of Children, 6 (2) 1996
Full article.

A framework for quality : A European perspective-Summary sheet
Penn, M. 1999
Childcare Resource and Research Unit, 1999
Summary sheet.

Print resources

Moss, P. (2000). Training of early childhood education and care staff. International Journal of Educational Research, 33 (1).

Whitebook, M. (1999). Child care workers: High demand, low wages. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 563.

Penn, H. (1997). Comparing nurseries: Staff and children in Italy, Spain and the UK. London: Paul Chapman Publishing.

Whitebook, M., Howes, C. & Phillips, D. (1989). Who cares? Child care teachers and the quality of care in America - Final report of the National Child Care Staffing Study. Berkeley, California: Child Care Employee Project.

OTHER FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE EARLY CHILDHOOD WORKFORCE

Online resources

Workforce issues in early childhood education and care
Moss, P.
Institute for Child and Family Policy at Columbia University, 2000
Full report.

You Bet I Care! Report 1: A Canada-wide study on centres wages, working conditions, and practices in child care centres
Doherty, G., LaGrange, A., Lero, D., Goelman, H. & Tougas, J.
Centre For Families, Work and Well-Being, 2001
See chapters 2,4,6,8 & 12 in full report.

You Bet I Care! Report 2: Caring and learning environments: Quality in child care centres across Canada
Doherty, G., LaGrange, A., Lero, D., Goelman, H. & Tougas, J.
Centre For Families, Work and Well-Being, 2001
Full report.

You Bet I Care! Report 3: Quality in regulated family child care across Canada
Doherty, G., LaGrange, A., Lero, D., Goelman, H. & Tougas, J.
Centre For Families, Work and Well-Being, 2001
Full report.

You Bet I Care! Report 4: Policies and practices in Canadian family child care agencies
Doherty, G., LaGrange, A., Lero, D., Goelman, H. & Tougas, J.
Centre For Families, Work and Well-Being, 2001
Full report.

Print resources

Phillips, D., Mekos, D., Scarr, S., McCartney, K., & Abbot-Simm, M. (2000). Within and beyond the classroom door: Assessing quality in child care centers. Early Childhood and Research Quarterly, 15, (4) 441.

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This list in not intended to be an exhaustive examination of this topic; for a more comprehensive list, search the Childcare Resource and Research Unit resource library catalogue Childcare Information Resource Collection (CIRC).