ERIC Number: ED660928
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 15
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Family Child Care Professionals: Understanding a Critical Workforce. Research Brief
Robyn Kelton; Irina Tenis
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University
The early childhood education care (ECEC) practitioner landscape is complex and encompasses many roles including center-based and school-based administrative, teaching, and support staff as well as home-based unregulated child care family child care (FCC) providers and home-based regulated (e.g., registered or licensed) FCC providers who simultaneously operate as small business owners and early childhood educators. FCC professionals represent an "essential component of the child care landscape," yet the number of FCC programs has seen an alarming decline for the past two decades. Moreover, while other professions often have well-defined steps or universal requirements for entry-level positions and identified milestones and clear pathways for advancement, those who open FCC programs tend to represent a more varied and flexible professional pathway. This makes it difficult to gain a systemic understanding of the experiences and characteristics that make up the workforce. Research is necessary to gain a deeper understanding of this distinct yet crucial sector of the ECEC workforce including motivations, role perceptions, and job satisfaction. This Research Brief aims to bridge this gap in the literature by offering a detailed professional report of FCC professionals.
Descriptors: Child Care, Child Caregivers, Child Care Centers, Family Environment, Early Childhood Education, Preschool Teachers, Career Development, Trend Analysis, Teacher Attitudes, Caregiver Attitudes, Labor Force, Job Satisfaction, Teacher Characteristics, Teacher Qualifications, Employment Qualifications, Race, Educational Attainment, Age Differences, Infants, Toddlers, Preschool Children, Administrator Role, Role Perception
McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University. 6200 Capital Drive, Wheeling, IL 60090. Tel: 847-947-5063; Fax: 847-947-5063; e-mail: McCormickCenter@nl.edu; Web site: https://mccormickcenter.nl.edu/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University
Identifiers - Location: Illinois
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A