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We are thrilled to share our 2025 Progress Report!
This report captures the key accomplishments, challenges, and growth we’ve experienced over the past year as we work toward transforming the early childhood education workforce with our partners. As we reflect on our progress, we remain committed to advancing equitable opportunities for early educators and look forward to the continued journey ahead. LEARN MORE
Professional educators.
Professional compensation.
Prepared children.
About Us
The Early Educator Investment Collaborative’s goal is to accelerate progress in the early childhood education profession and ensure early educators have the supports they need to be well-prepared and appropriately compensated. Learn more.
What’s New
Check out our latest grantee updates, webinars, and news below.
NEWSLETTER
June 4, 2026
In our June newsletter, we’re sharing updates from across our work on the early childhood workforce, including a new organizing toolkit, reflections from a longtime field leader, and partner updates from across the country. Explore the new In Our Hands Organizing Toolkit, read retiring field leader Michael Burke’s reflections on why investing in the workforce remains one of philanthropy’s smartest bets, and catch up on innovative strategies and recent milestones from partners working to strengthen systems and support early educators nationwide.
Read the June newsletter and explore the latest resources here.
RESOURCE
June 2, 2026
The In Our Hands Organizing Toolkit, developed in partnership with Community Change and Childcare Changemakers, offers practical resources to help advocates, organizers, providers, and partners communicate more effectively about the childcare workforce and the need for public investment. Grounded in a year of message testing, messenger development, and organizing work, the toolkit includes winning messages, storytelling guidance, real-world examples, and tools designed to build public understanding and support for policies that strengthen care for families and fair compensation for providers.
Explore the toolkit and learn more about the In Our Hands campaign.
RESOURCE
February 4, 2026
As part of the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE)’s collaborative work on the Compensation Capacity-Building Community of Practice (CoP), we are excited to continue highlighting state-level progress in ECE compensation. This case study explores how Minnesota has successfully sustained its workforce initiatives through cross-agency partnerships and persistent advocacy. This progress offers a powerful roadmap for maintaining momentum in a shifting fiscal landscape even after the sunset of federal pandemic relief funds.
Access the Minnesota Case Study here.
WEBINAR
January 15, 2026
Last fall, The Collaborative commissioned reflection papers and hosted webinars exploring the past decade in the early childhood education workforce since the release of Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation and its companion piece, Transforming the Financing of Early Care and Education.
We are excited to announce that the webinar recordings and full resource library are now available.
We’d love to hear your thoughts. Join the conversation on our LinkedIn.
WEBINAR
January 29, 2026
Led by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) at UC Berkeley, the Compensation Capacity Community of Practice (CoP) supports the innovation and cross-agency coordination needed to turn compensation theory into reality.
In partnership with CSCCE, we recently hosted a webinar featuring members of the Community of Practice. As federal action stalls, states and communities are advancing bold strategies to stabilize the child care system through compensation reform—and this conversation highlighted how.
The session included perspectives from leaders in Colorado, Louisiana, and Minnesota, who shared how they are implementing compensation approaches to strengthen their workforce and support long-term stability across diverse contexts.
Watch the recording and explore the recent resources from the CoP here.
RESOURCE
December 15, 2025
To mark the 10-year anniversary of landmark research papers Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation and Transforming the Financing of Early Care and Education we’ve partnered with leading organizations to release a series of reflection papers examining progress, persistent challenges, and strategies to strengthen and diversify the early childhood education workforce.
The companion webinar series features prominent voices from across the field, exploring the enduring relevance of this work and advancing conversations on equity and systemic change.
Read the reflection papers and watch the webinar series here.
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