News and Insights from the Early Educator Investment Collaborative

Newsletters

New Toolkit and Field Insights From The Collaborative

This spring has brought new opportunities to learn, reflect, and build momentum for change. In this issue, we’re sharing a new organizing toolkit designed to support narrative change efforts, reflections on investing in the early childhood workforce from a longtime field leader, and updates from partners advancing innovative strategies across the country.   Continued

Insights

Make a Smart, Big Bet on Workforce

By Michael Burke   Looking for the biggest “return” on your philanthropic investment? Invest in early childhood. Want to make a game-changing investment within early childhood? Invest in the early childhood workforce.   It’s for these reasons that I’ve been proud to be a part of the Early Educator Investment Collaborative (The Collaborative), a group… Continued

Newsletters

Milestones and Momentum: The Latest from The Collaborative

In this issue, you’ll find insights from Dr. Ola J. Friday, Executive Director of The Early Educator Investment Collaborative, key takeaways from our In Our Hands campaign, highlights from recent convenings, and examples of continued state-level momentum to advance compensation for early educators. Read on to see how this work is taking shape across the field.   Continued

Insights

The Future of the Early Education Workforce: Looking Back to Look Forward

In 2015, a landmark report by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council opened a new lane on the road towards providing all of our children with high-quality early learning experiences. The report, Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation, tied together the science showing that the early… Continued

Newsletters

Progress through Partnership

Last week, the Compensation Capacity-Building Community of Practice  (CoP) officially kicked off its 2026 convenings. Since its launch in 2023, this initiative has grown into a $11.4 million effort to help state and local teams build the infrastructure needed for sustained ECE wages and benefits. Led by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at UC… Continued

Newsletters

The Work Continues: Lessons from A Decade of Change

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. In this email, hear directly from the leaders who shared… Continued

Newsletters

Reflecting on 2025: Gratitude and Highlights

The December newsletter highlights how The Collaborative closed the year and the conversations we helped move forward across the field. We share highlights from our time at Grantmakers for Education and BUILD25, our A Decade of Change paper and webinar series, and our In Our Hands Narrative Change Campaign webinar. Continued

Newsletters

Keeping the ECE Workforce Conversations Front and Center

The November newsletter highlights where The Collaborative will be in December and the conversations we’re contributing to across the field. This month, we focus on early childhood workforce preparation, support, and compensation. We’re also sharing updates on upcoming events and offering a preview of our first webinar in 2026. Continued

Newsletters

A Decade Later: Papers, Webinars, and Learning Sessions

The September newsletter shares upcoming reflection papers and a webinar series reviewing the decade since Transforming the Workforce and Transforming the Financing reports. The series and related sessions at the Grantmakers for Education Conference and BUILD25 will examine progress, ongoing challenges, and next steps for the early childhood education workforce. Continued

Newsletters

Narrative Power and Flexible Support for Leaders

The August newsletter features reflections from our Executive Director on wellness and resilience, updates from the Respite & Rapid Response Fund supporting grantee partners, key takeaways from the Compensation Capacity-Building Community of Practice, highlights from the In Our Hands Narrative Change Campaign, and new funding opportunities. Continued

Newsletters

Colorado Spotlight & Compensation Community of Practice Highlights

The June newsletter spotlights our grantee partners in Colorado, led by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, who are strengthening the early childhood workforce through community-driven strategies and strong partnerships. We also explore a new resource from our Compensation Community of Practice offering insights to support teams in Colorado and beyond. Continued

Newsletters

The Power of Storytelling + Find us at TEACH

Our April newsletter outlines our narrative change efforts in partnership with Community Change to highlight the impact of fair compensation on parents and providers. We also preview two sessions for the upcoming 2025 National ECE Workforce Convening. Continued

Newsletters

New ECE Compensation Community of Practice Launches

Our February newsletter highlights the launch of the Compensation Capacity-Building Community of Practice with CSCCE at UC Berkeley. Hear from grantees and partners on how teams will explore compensation strategies through peer learning, expert insights, and collaboration ahead of the February 27th kickoff. Continued