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Common Challenges and Potential Solutions
Attracting professionals to enter and remain in the early childhood workforce is a nationwide challenge. To employ a workforce that is highly valued, compensated, well-trained, and representative of the diversity of Kansas children and families, we need multiple problem-solving approaches and incentives.
The challenges and solutions described below are not exhaustive and do not represent the views of any single state agency or organization; however, they can be considered and adapted by professionals, agencies, organizations, and communities as they address both recruitment and retention challenges.
The public has misconceptions about the nature of work involved in the early childhood field, resulting in a perceived lack of value and respect. The following are potential solutions for this longstanding concern, organized by intended audience:
Professionals
- Participate in robust professional learning and attain credentials through trusted sources. Professional growth improves both your self-worth and public perception of the skills necessary to provide quality care and services. The upcoming Cape portal will have opportunities all in one place, such as those from:
- Kansas Child Care Training Opportunities
- Child Care Aware of Kansas
- Kansas Association for the Education of Young Children (KSAEYC)
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
- McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership
- Council for Professional Recognition
- Institute for Family Support Professionals
- Kansas Inservice Training System
- Promote leadership and professionalism through involvement in networks and member organizations:
- Increase quality of care through accreditation (NAFCC and NAEYC) or by participating in quality initiatives that attract support for the profession.
- Participate in practices including reflective supervision, coaching, mentoring, education, and other professional opportunities.
- Use substitute pools and/or encourage other professionals to become substitutes to allow time away for training or participation in board meetings.
- Offer paid professional development days as a benefit, pay stipends for attendance, or offer reimbursements for participation in growth activities.
- Join professional membership organizations at the local, state, or national level.
- Post and make public the things you are doing in your early learning environments for children and families. Promote yourself and programming.
State Agencies & Organizations
- Conduct public awareness campaigns to showcase the work of early childhood professionals. Model your campaigns after the Kansas K-12 “#Inspired2Teach” marketing campaign.
- Encourage the Kansas State Department of Education and State Board of Education to increase early childhood pathway opportunities.
- Promote and expand the Shared Services Model so professionals have the capacity to participate in development and leadership opportunities.
- Encourage coalitions, councils, boards, and workgroups to meet during days and times that support participation by direct care professionals. Consider hours of operation, personal obligations, and other aspects affecting availability.
Advocacy Groups
- Use consistent early childhood designations and titles to communicate about the breadth, importance, and complexity of the profession to public, legislative, and business audiences.
- Advocate for inclusion of early childhood as a respected and viable pathway for Career and Technical Education (CTE) studies in high school.
- Amplify national early childhood and child care business priorities that align with our own system investments and workforce priorities in Kansas.
- Advocate for funding in communities with substitute pools, to allow professionals time away for participation on local, regional, or state boards.
- Recommend pay-parity legislation for public pre-kindergarten programs; one-time or periodic stipends and refundable tax credits for professionals; and scholarship programs for professional growth and advancement.
- Promote higher pay for professionals in non-public/community-based programs comparable to pay-parity strategies for public school professionals.
- Support incentives and stipends for participating in training and other professional development, leadership, quality, or advocacy initiatives and events.
Local Coalitions & Communities
- Include direct care professionals from diverse sectors on local coalitions—including local child care coalitions and Interagency Coordinating Councils (ICCs)—to ensure multiple perspectives and expertise essential for identifying community needs.
- Encourage business and economic development leaders from local Chambers of Commerce to communicate about the early childhood profession and why quality early childhood is important within the community.
- Highlight stories and the good things early childhood professionals are doing on social media. Create videos (A Day in the Life of an Early Childhood Professional) to educate families and students in K-12 about career opportunities.
- Set up a Parent Teacher Organization-type program for local professionals to help “take care of the caretaker.”
- Work with organizers of job fairs to increase awareness of opportunities in early childhood among middle and high school students.
By incentivizing early childhood professionals to learn new skills and advance their careers, we can help attract more professionals and reduce turnover rates. Well-trained professionals are equipped to provide high-quality care, which improves job satisfaction and professional pride. In turn, this makes the profession more attractive to new entrants. Additionally, investing in professional growth fosters a sense of value and support, leading to higher engagement and stronger retention.
Professionals
- Find ways to get involved professionally. Become a member of an early childhood professional membership organization and purchase memberships for staff.
- Grow your own! Primary caregivers and directors can create leadership opportunities within their programs that speak to people’s strengths and interests. Acknowledge expertise and impact by giving a title and small raise or bonus, if possible (i.e., Social Media specialist, the Family Engagement specialist).
- Mentor and support your own employees. Encourage higher education or earning a credential, and model professional growth by enrolling yourself in a higher ed certificate
- Access scholarships for a variety of learning opportunities (courses, conferences, events), or pursue higher education in early childhood, an eligible field of study for the Promise Scholarship.
- Find a Career Navigator to help you use the Career Pathway.
State Agencies & Organizations
- Consider tiered reimbursements for initiatives such as Links to Quality so levels of education, experience, or credentials result in increased rates.
- Create additional endorsements that offer new ways for professionals to advance, for example, an Early Childhood Education Advocate endorsement for those wanting to apply for a state early childhood or advocacy position.
- Promote use and distribution of the CCA-KS Career Guide along with the newly-revised Kansas Early Learning Standards (KELS), Core Competencies, Self-Assessment & Individualized Professional Development Plan (IPDP), and Career Pathway.
Advocacy Groups
- Promote Public Service Loan Forgiveness and other government support that leads to higher academic attainment in early childhood.
- Advocate for grants with a 2-to 3-year service commitment to cover the cost of early childhood degrees or certifications for participants, providing stability to the sector.
- Leverage expertise and knowledge from Kansas Action for Children (KAC) to impact policy changes.
Local Coalitions & Communities
- Emphasize the need for funding to recruit, train/support, and retain staff caring for infants and toddlers in all communities.
- Partner with local Child Care Resource and Referral agencies and membership organizations like the Child Care Provider Coalition of Kansas (CCPC).
The emotional demand of working with young children, dealing with workplace turnover and shortages, and managing all your other personal and professional concerns can lead to burnout and job dissatisfaction. Access to mental health support and a culture of well-being are keys to helping professionals maintain a healthy work-life balance. When professionals feel supported mentally and emotionally, they are more likely to remain in their roles long-term.
Professionals
- Create a culture that promotes staff wellness, professional learning, and mutual respect. Offer an employee assistance program and use a substitute pool to provide staff with planning periods and breaks.
- Join a reflective supervision group for help navigating secondary family trauma and reducing work stress.
- Participate in shared services to get support for accounting and other business functions (e.g., health insurance, bulk purchasing, management systems/software, legal and accounting services, etc.), helping to reduce mental stress.
State Agencies & Organizations
- Promote mental health toolkits for direct care professionals and administrators/directors through outreach and consulting/coaching services.
- Promote the KAIMH Infant Mental Health Endorsement® that gives professionals access to reflective consultation and mental health resources.
- Provide professional development opportunities that promote self-care, coping skills, and reflective practice.
Advocacy Groups
- Advocate for health and safety regulations essential for preventing risk of harm, and advocate for practices that support smaller group sizes and lower staff-to-child ratios.
- Partner with advocacy organizations (e.g., KAC), and educate the Kansas legislative body on the business of early childhood and need for investments that support a high-quality workforce.
- Advocate for child care assistance (subsidy) that covers the true cost of high-quality learning environments which in turn can positively affect retention due to less stress/demand, lower staff-to-child ratios, and more planning time.
Local Coalitions & Communities
- Participate in shared services that aid in improving financial strength and management capacity for early learning programs.
- Advocate for businesses to use family-friendly practices. Strong practices improve employee access to high-quality child care through flexible and predictable work schedules, parental leave, and conditions that support early learning programs.
- Publicly recognize and acknowledge early childhood businesses in the community and support their image as an essential, respected profession.
Many early childhood professionals must simultaneously provide high-quality care for children while managing the complexities of operating a small business. Business management may be burdensome and can lead to financial strain, inefficiency, or even closure of programs. Support in areas like financial management, marketing, regulatory compliance, and staff management helps professionals build sustainable businesses and focus on delivering quality.
Professionals
- Partner with the Chamber of Commerce, City or County Economic Development office, or nearest SCORE chapter for help in setting up your new business.
- Access small business resources and supports through Kansas Commerce.
- Visit the Child Care Aware of Kansas website for grants/funding opportunities.
State Agencies & Organizations
- Promote and support co-ops or shared services for business operations and administrative processes, especially for small private businesses like Family Child Care.
- View Child Care through a business lens, as a micro-enterprise that requires business supports such as accounting and tax help. Learn more from Child Care Aware® of America.
- Leverage resources from the L2Q Learning Communities.
- Host a Meet & Greet. Promote partnerships with KSU Research & Extension to conduct a community assessment and promote CCA-KS Communities In Action events to identify needs and unique solutions.
Advocacy Groups
- Share the Kansas Power of the Positive Family Friendly Workplace Information and resources such as Child Care: A Top Priority for Employers and “Kansas Child Day Care Tax Credit.
Local Coalitions or Communities
- Partner with local chambers of commerce or other economic development organizations that offer support to professionals through small business opportunities, education, and free or reduced memberships.
- Create and promote a Partnership Model with large businesses in the community to help financially support child care programs in the region.
- Connect chamber of commerce member businesses interested in providing on-site care with existing early childhood programs.
Spotlight
Child Care Zones Webinar
Informational Webinar Join the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to learn more about an upcoming opportunity for communities interested in strengthening their local child care infrastructure. The Child Care Zones […]
Health Insurance Resources for Child Care Professionals
The Insurance Stipend Program for Childcare Providers will provide a stipend of up to $3,600 a year to assist with the cost of purchasing health coverage in the State of Kansas.
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