We are a private, non-profit membership organization composed of state early childhood professional development registries and early learning workforce allies. We work to strengthen state registries, standardize the collection and analysis of workforce data, and cultivate space for collaboration.
The National Workforce Registry Alliance convenes, organizes, and sets standards to help unify and guide the early learning professional development system across the nation. The NWRA is home to 44 member state registries, their staff, registry software vendors, national and international training organizations, non-profit allies, data professionals, researchers, and change agents committed to supporting those who care for children.
Collectively, we are vested in elevating the nation’s essential early childhood professionals, strengthening workforce development, and leveraging workforce data to inform progress with and on behalf of those who care for and educate our youngest citizens.
What the NWRA does:
- Provide technical assistance and member services to state registries and allied partners.
- Improve Early Childhood Workforce Data, Access, & Quality
- Guide Workforce Engagement & Professional Development
- Strengthen Equity Accountability
- Inform Research & Policy
What Registries do:
- Workforce Support & Engagement Infrastructure
- Emergency Broadcast System for the Child Care Industry
- Strengthen the Professional Development System, with verification and approval information
- Recognize, Track, & Report on the ECE Workforce (data collection)
- Support Child Care Licensing, with qualifications and tracking
- Contribute to Improving Quality in Child Care
The biggest thing for me, regarding the NWRA, is that there is a support system for us and we are not out here doing this work alone. Having a group to belong to and a national organization behind us lends power and credibility to our work.
Registry Director, 2021 , State Member
National Workforce Alliance Registry
Our Mission
The mission of the National Workforce Registry Alliance is to provide registries across the country with resources on data related support on the workforce, standards of quality for workforce data systems, and a strong national voice driving relevant policies and initiatives.
Our Vision
The goal of the National Workforce Registry Alliance is to be the central hub of data collection and dissemination used to inform and strengthen the Early Care and Education Early Childhood and Afterschool Workforce through collaboration with state workforce registry systems and national partners.
Our Reach
Coordinate a biennial Workforce Dataset composed of registry workforce data from eligible, contributing states. In 2021, 14 of 17 states contributed to this dataset. We are working to have 23 states participate in 2023. Our goal is to grow this pooled data to create the National Workforce Dataset.
Conduct the state's "Partners in Employment Reporting" (PER) review and compliance for states seeking inclusion in the national ECE workforce dataset.
Produce white papers, articles, and publications to highlight, inform, and strengthen early childhood workforce data collection efforts.
Provide national Training Organization Recognition to help remove obstacles to the time-consuming approval process required and unique to all 50 states.
Membership services such as up-to-date state profiles, a public listserv for the community, a Directors’ listserv, coordinate national efforts, host a monthly Registry Peer Learning Group, Community of Practice collaboration efforts, and hold bi-monthly Directors’ Round Tables.
The NWRA hosts an annual conference to encourage information exchange, networking, recognition, and to enact a national strategy to strengthen ECE and out-of-school time workforce data collection and support.
Leadership: We provide a unified, national voice on behalf of and access to the registries and the workforce they represent. We invest in and provide growth and development opportunities to guide state leaders and those who follow. with critical information related to data quality, workforce engagement, equity alignment, and reporting access.