Transforming the Financing of Early Care and Education with a Highly-Qualified Workforce: Findings from the National Academies Panel Report and Potential Steps for States

Increasing the qualifications and skills of the early care and education workforce is a pressing policy concern. Educational qualifications for early care and education teachers vary within and across states. Early care and education is funded by several different private and public sources, with different eligibility requirements and quality standards. During the webinar, panelists will discuss the findings from the recent report, Transforming the Financing of Early Care and Education which builds on key recommendations in the earlier report, Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8. They will explore recommendations for financing a highly-qualified early care and education workforce; ensuring affordability and access to high quality for all families; ensuring high quality across early care and education settings; and supporting systems for evaluation and continuous improvement. They will also discuss next steps for states and cities seeking to support and finance early care and education systems with a highly-qualified workforce.

Speakers:

• Nikki Aikens, Senior Researcher, Mathematica Policy Research
• Kathy Glazer, President, Virginia Early Childhood Foundation
• Harriet Dichter, Fellow, ICF