Improving Child Care Compensation Backgrounder 2021
The Improving Child Care Compensation Backgrounder 2021 provides tactical information to help leaders better understand the policy levers available to support early educator compensation, which is so critical right now when we can finally address this critical problem. In this update, we’ve included examples of states and counties implementing in different ways the eight strategies covered in the backgrounder, which are: compensation scales and standards, wage stipends and bonus payments, individual tax credits for child care educators, ARPA child care stabilization subgrants, child care assistance, benefits, apprenticeships, and pre-K parity for child care.
Access the recording and slide deck from the December 2021 webinar, Child Care Compensation Counts: 8 Strategies.
The Improving Child Care Compensation Video Series provides interviews with leaders whose work is covered in the Improving Child Care Compensation Backgrounder 2021.
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Systems in Sync: What Seven States Learned About Supporting Families Experiencing Homelessness
Blog September 24, 2026
Teams from seven states spent six months exploring how systems can work together to support infants, toddlers, and parents experiencing homelessness.
Home Is Missing From the Maternal and Infant Health Conversation
Blog September 22, 2026
Picture a mother, eight months pregnant, who has missed her last two prenatal appointments — she's been sleeping in her car and has no fixed address to give the clinic. Or a parent three weeks postpartum, trying to establish a nursing routine in a shared shelter bathroom, timing every feeding around when the room is free.
Head Start Under Threat: What the Field is Saying
Research September 22, 2026
Over the past few months, HHS has advanced two related sets of proposed changes to Head Start. National, state, and local partners across the early childhood field have raised serious concerns about both. This document is a summary of what our partners are saying, followed by concrete actions and resources for you and your organization. The content reflects our partners' own statements and comments — we agree with what they've said and are sharing it here with full source attribution. Updated September 22, 2026.