Emergency Broadcast System (Bi-directional Information Distribution)

A workforce registry allows a state or regional system to provide information to their registered participants, thus it can be utilized as a bi-directional emergency broadcast system to communicate urgent information. For example, the Pennsylvania Key maintains contact information for more than 100,000 early childhood education (ECE) professionals in Pennsylvania’s Professional Development (PD) Registry and distributes pertinent messaging through the Buzz on Professional Development in Pennsylvania and several other e-newsletters via Constant Contact. Special announcements are sent as needed to keep messaging moving as new information becomes available. In 2020, messaging included COVID-related communication that covered announcements and recommendations from both national organizations such as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and state agencies from Pennsylvania’s Department of Health. These communications also included instructions around alternative funding opportunities due to ongoing mitigation procedures, resources for both professionals and families impacted by the pandemic, links to both national and state surveys requesting participation from ECE professionals, and reports sharing the results of these surveys once completed. Registries also exist as a means for child care professionals to enter information into the system in a timely, efficient manner when state and/or local departments are functioning at minimal levels in emergency circumstances. This bi-directional information distribution approach has been extremely helpful during the pandemic.

Vaccine Priority/Eligibility Employment Verification

The commitment to vaccinate essential workers necessitates accounting for a state or jurisdiction’s child care workforce and delivering vaccines to eligible individuals expeditiously. A workforce registry provides access to this population, with a platform to document who can access the vaccine and who received the vaccine. For example, Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services’ (OCFS) partnership with Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network provided early childhood and education professionals with a registry certificate. This was the documentation they needed for COVID-19 vaccination registration. Likewise, the Ohio Professional Registry created a certificate of employment for child care professionals to print and provide as proof of eligibility at vaccination sites.

Subsidy/Stipend Verification and Payment Distribution

In support of the essential workers who required child care, some states incentivized program providers to remain open or re-open during the pandemic. Various states offered special funding in the forms of stipends or increased subsidy payments to assist with the increased operational cost due to enhanced health and safety guidelines and social distancing procedures. States’ workforce registries enabled both communication to programs and verification of programs’ operating information. In addition, these systems assisted in distribution of special funding. For example, the Alaska System for Early Education Development (SEED) supported early-childhood and school-age professionals working in licensed programs during the COVID-19 pandemic with direct payments of $500. These funds are known as SEED COVID-19 Retaining Our Outstanding Teachers (ROOT) awards. In Illinois, Gateway to Opportunities, the professional development system that administers the state’s registry, participated in the announcement and distribution of the state’s 2020 Child Care Restoration Grants. This allowed Illinois to get $290 million out to nearly 5,000 licensed child care programs. More grants will follow as new federal funds in the amount of $330 million will be distributed in the same manner to both licensed and license-exempt programs throughout Illinois.

Data Collection

At any given time, states should be motivated to collect timely, objective, and comprehensive state-level early childhood education workforce data because policy makers and stakeholders must be able to answer questions about supply, demand, equity, and quality. These questions include: How many professionals are The Evolution of the Child Care Workforce Registry part of the system? What training and education does the workforce need? What are the salaries of these professionals? Answers to these and many other questions are possible by drawing on data entered into a registry. Additionally, the individuals that are part of the registry can contribute to a specific data collection event organized by the state itself or external researchers. The Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System was involved in data collection for an upcoming journal article that will be published in the Early Childhood Education Journal’s Special Issue on the “Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Early Childhood Care and Education.” ² Two surveys were distributed, one in April 2020 and one in November 2020, to ask early childhood administrators/directors, teachers/practitioners, and trainers about how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed their work, what challenges they have faced as a result of the pandemic, and what (if any) positive outcomes they have experienced as a result of the pandemic. During the early months of the pandemic, Yale collaborated with the NWRA to survey more than 700,000 members of the ECE Workforce, toward assessing the risk of working in child care. Over 50,000 providers in all 50 states responded, representing 71 percent of U.S. counties participating. This overwhelming response demonstrates the reach of registries and their unique ability to access the ECE workforce, in ways no other entity can.

Recruitment of Qualified Professionals

As bi-directional information distributors, workforce registries can communicate early childhood workforce positions for registry participants who are in need of or wish to change employment. Programs may be granted the opportunity to post job openings within the registry, where program administrators/directors know which baseline qualifications should be met by the majority of registry applicants. This was reflected in late March of 2020, when the New York’s Aspire Registry helped to
distribute the Existing Childcare Workers Survey on behalf of the New York Office of Children and Family Services. The purpose of this survey was to gather data around child care professionals who were temporarily out of work due to COVID-19 and who would be interested in filling roles at programs providing care to the children of essential workers. As more state and federal policy makers seek to leverage workforce data to inform scalable cost estimates, pipeline preparations, workforce readiness, and measures with regard to equity accountability, state ECE systems need to closely examine their workforce participation and data saturation levels. Of the 28 states that have made ECE workforce registry participation a requirement for portions of the workforce, just 17 have made it a requirement for all licensed child care providers. To adequately inform priorities and investments toward Public PreK, Minimum Wage, or Equity Accountability states must take design and policy steps to ensure measures of data confidence are sufficiently addressed. Examples of how early childhood workforce registries were and continue to be vehicles of efficiency and effectiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic only affirm the need for states to further invest in developing these dynamic systems. Moreover, states that have registries and use them for only one or two of the functions mentioned should consider expanding their registries’ use. As workforce registries evolve, the NWRA will continue to advocate for their expanded adoption and use. Particularly as registries provide meaningful data to support continuous quality improvement for all early childhood workforce members and connected systems of states and local jurisdictions.

Source: Dr. Katari Coleman & D r. Kimberlee Belcher-Badal, National Workforce
Registry Alliance, POPP Committee Brief, April 2021.

Dr. Katari Coleman is the President-Elect for the NWRA and Co-Lead for the National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment (NCASE), a resource and training hub that builds capacity to ensure children can access high-quality afterschool learning that supports their development and boosts their academic achievement. Coleman holds a PhD in Cultural and Educational Policy Studies from Loyola University and an MEd in Early Childhood Education from Erikson Institute.

Dr. Kimberlee Belcher-Badal is the Executive Director of the National Workforce Registry Alliance. In this capacity, she works to connect registries and workforce data to policy makers and advocates looking to leverage data and information for social impact. She holds a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction with a concentration in Educational Leadership & Policy from Indiana University.

¹ Ackerman, D. (2016). Using State Early Care and Education Workforce Registry Data to Inform Training‐Related

² Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Early Childhood Care and Education. Early Childhood Edu. J 48, 533–536 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01082-0

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Thank you for your interest in the National Workforce Registry Alliance. I am pleased to present the Alliance 2020 Annual Report. As you read through this report you will learn about the organization and our work during this time of change, challenge and growth. – Kelly Smith

This annual report is hosted online to save resources.

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A new study conducted by researchers at Yale University shows that child care programs that remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic did not contribute to the spread of the virus to providers. The findings showed that exposure to child care was not associated with an elevated risk of spreading COVID-19 from children to adults as long the child care programs took multiple safety measures, including disinfecting, hand washing, symptom screening, social distancing, wearing masks, and limiting group size.

The study, which was supported by the efforts of the National Workforce Registry Alliance (NWRA) and workforce registries throughout the country, was published on October 14, 2020, on the website for Pediatrics, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The findings are part of the first large-scale assessment of the risk of working in child care throughout the pandemic. Yale researchers surveyed more than 50,000 child care providers in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, which represented 71.3% of America’s counties (2,241 of 3,141). In May and June of 2020, researchers compared self-reported COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations among workers whose programs stayed open and those whose programs closed.

“This study was made possible by the state workforce registries, who are the strongest connecting link to actual providers. Through the support of 28 states, the National Workforce Registry Alliance (NWRA) was able to coordinate survey access to more than 700,000 child care providers,” said Dr. Kimberlee Belcher-Badal, NWRA, Executive Director.

No differences in COVID-19 outcomes were observed between workers who continued to provide in-person care for young children and those who did not. These findings suggest that child care providers do not have a heightened risk from their work, assuming that workplaces continue to follow core health and safety practices.

“Until now, decision-makers had no way to assess whether opening child care centers would put staff at greater risk of contracting COVID-19,” said Dr. Walter Gilliam of  the Yale University Child Study Center and the study’s lead author. “This study tells us that as long as there are strong on-site measures to prevent infection, providing care for young children doesn’t seem to add to the provider’s risk of getting sick.”

The main factors in whether a child care worker got sick were the level of community transmission in the county where they lived and race/ethnicity, with Black, Latino, and Native American people more likely to test positive or be hospitalized. These findings are in line with other studies that have found that both policy and social contexts affect people’s risks and outcomes related to COVID-19.

Importantly, the research revealed that child care programs that stayed open were particularly conscientious in following recommended infection control measures. More than 90% of child care providers in open programs reported frequent hand washing and disinfection of surfaces. The survey also showed that child care sites had high rates of other infection-control measures such as daily symptom checks, physical distancing, and “cohorting,” which means not mixing children or items between groups of children. Researchers emphasized that infection control practices remain critical, especially in light of “vigilance fatigue,” a tendency to become less careful and consistent in efforts to protect against a threat as time goes on.

The study’s authors caution that their findings do not necessarily apply to teachers who work in schools or other settings with older children.

 Download this Summary

Yale COVID-19 Study Policy Recommendations

Findings from a recent Yale University study show that child care programs throughout the United States, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico did not contribute to the spread of COVID-19 to providers. This shows the dedication and vigilance of the child care community to keep providers and families safe and healthy. As the pandemic continues, the NWRA makes the following policy recommendations to provide crucial support for child care providers.

 Download the Recommendations

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“We at the Alliance applaud your efforts to steer attention toward the essential child care professional with whom our nation’s social and economic well-being depends. We are here to connect you or any state representative looking for more data on the ECE workforce, at the state or national level. Our work exists to provide data that informs analysis and decision making regarding future investments in the essential workforce. We look forward to your additional discussions and support for the essential professionals that children and families, as well as the economy, can not do without.”

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“The Alliance is excited to welcome Kimberlee as our new executive director,” said Kelly Smith, president of the board of directors. As a longtime member, Kimberlee has been vested in early childhood workforce development for the past 15 years. As an Executive Committee Member,

Kimberlee demonstrated her commitment to the advancement of the organization through the facilitation of a strategic plan, nurturing community partnerships, and identifying opportunities for growth and advancement.

Kimberlee comes to the National Workforce Registry Alliance with a strong background in workforce development, career pathways, and state early childhood and after school registry development. Her doctoral studies focused extensively on mapping state registry developments across the country and possibilities for future partnerships. In the process of conducting early childhood workforce policy developments, she was able to look closely at each state’s system, the intersection of state registries in QRIS systems, and the potential to leverage data collected to influence policy, practice, and preparation.

Kimberlee has been working in and with state early childhood registries in many facets: as a teacher, school director, Early Childhood Apprenticeship Coordinator, TEACH Early Childhood Program Director, policy advocate, and through her dissertation for Indiana University. Kimberlee’s undergraduate degree is a BS in Early Childhood; her master’s degree is in Elementary Education. Her Ph.D. is in Curriculum & Instruction, with a minor in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. She has training and experience in Dynamic Governance with John Buck and Ted Rau, a certificate in Art Therapy, and has obtained a Montessori Credential.

Kimberlee is a military spouse, living in Northern Virginia, just south of Washington DC. She has two young children who attend a nature-based school in the region and, after living in 14 states, she is thrilled to live where there are four solid seasons, accessible museum experiences, and rich, diverse cultural opportunities. She is looking forward to working with state registries, Alliance Allies and Partners, and coordinating future opportunities for growth and development!

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The featured analysis from the data set includes information on the infant/toddler workforce and changes in employment status, education, and roles between the 2017 and 2019 data sets.

“Wages are a perennial problem in the early childhood field. Based on this year’s dataset, center-based lead teachers with a bachelor’s degree had a median hourly wage of $14.73, which is about half that earned by kindergarten teachers ($28.10) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Also, within the 2019 dataset, those serving the youngest children—infants and toddlers—earned less than their counterparts serving preschoolers. These inequities need to be addressed to ensure that all children, especially our youngest, thrive in childcare settings” said Wayne Mayfield, Ph.D., principal investigator from the Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis, Institute of Public Policy at the University of Missouri.

“The Alliance is proud of the data that is collected from the Partnership Eligibility Review (PER) approved registries for the national data set and that we are able to provide the quality longitudinal quality data that can inform on the infant/toddler workforce changes in employment status, education and roles,” according to Kelly Smith, president of the Board of Directors for the Alliance.

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There are two new Regional Representatives on the board. They are Jay Joshi in Region 2 and Christi Moore in Region 4!

Jay is with Public Consulting Group which operates the New Jersey registry and Christi is with Bright Start From the Beginning at the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.

The new President-Elect is Diana Diaz of the Aspire Registry in New York. Diana was previously Region 2 representative and is the registry administrator of the New York Early Childhood Development Institute.

Our current Treasurer Jennifer O’Brien, director of Early Childhood Workforce Development at the Colorado Department of Education will return for a second term in office.

Also, returning for second terms as regional representatives are Region 6, Paige Cox with the Arkansas Department of Human Services; Region 8, Ellie Gardner with Align the operator of the Wyoming STARS registry; and Region 10, Pamela Deardorff with the Oregon Center for Career Development in Childhood Care and Education.

New and retiring board members will merge at the annual board meeting in Minneapolis on September 17 just before the annual conference.

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1. Saturation: The extent to which we have accounted for/captured all of a given target. The Alliance’s target is the presence of registries across the nation and the rate of participation within each of those registries. The Alliance seeks to support the increase in the number of workforce registries nationally, including those that perform professional development approval processes, and an increase in participation by staff (i.e., teaching staff, directors) in licensed programs.
2. Operations: The Alliance seeks to expand the standards of operations and Core Data Elements to incorporate all remaining operational functions of state registry systems (e.g., training, trainer approval, CCDG training requirement tracking). Additionally, the Alliance seeks to improve the effectiveness of registry operations by increasing the number of states that meet best practices standards through Partnership Eligibility Review (PER) and to promote registry staff participation in public policy activities so that registry data are informing policy decisions and registry leaders are helping to shape state systems.
3. Accountability: Accountability means that the National Workforce Registry Alliance and its members are known and trusted providers of accurate and representative data that can be used to inform decisions about the early childhood and afterschool workforce. The Alliance seeks to increase the number of registries (PER approved) that contribute their data to the national data set and to ensure full participation by registries (regardless of PER status) that participate in the SOAR goals and benchmark.
4.  Reciprocity: While the reciprocity can take many forms in the registry work, the Alliance is focused on credential portability and streamlined criteria for training/trainer approval to promote portability of training completions and strengthen the provision of professional development offerings. The Alliance seeks to increase the acceptance of credentials and training among registries and increase the number of states using streamlined criteria for trainer/training/sponsor approval.

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Registries were initially developed to collect and manage data for the purpose of providing recognition of professional achievements and to disseminate basic data for state and federal reporting needs. As registries have evolved, they have become an essential source for the data necessary to inform discussions and decisions around state and federal initiatives and policies

Additionally, registries can support the key elements of a state career development system. Key elements include:

• Access and Outreach
• Quality Assurance
• Qualifications, Credentials, and Pathways
• Core Professional Knowledge
• Financing and Compensation

State workforce registries are encouraged to join the National Workforce Registry Alliance; a private, non-profit, voluntary organization of state early childhood/school age workforce registry and professional development leaders. The mission of the National Workforce Registry Alliance is to provide registries across the country with resources regarding standards of quality for workforce data systems, and to be a strong national voice driving relevant policies and initiatives.

Registries play a critical role in contributing to the early childhood and school age workforce national data set, which can have a major impact on the profession. In order to contribute to the national data set, a state registry must verify that their data collection and maintenance methods meet rigorous standards that ensure consistency and quality. The National Workforce Registry Alliance has created Partnership Eligibility Review (PER), a process which verifies that a state is ready to contribute data to the national data set.

Data informed decisions are critical for the success of the workforce in any profession, and registries provide that data. Based on the information provided in the National Workforce Registry Alliance’s 2017 Workforce Dataset: Early Childhood and School Age Workforce Characteristics, we learned that for the registries where data could be matched between the 2015 that the 2017 data sets, the overall staff retention rate between 2015 and 2017 was 64%. Staff turnover is a big barrier to obtaining and maintaining high quality experiences for children and having access to this data allows individuals and groups to advocate for initiatives and policies to address workforce retention issues.

States have a myriad of reasons for implementing an early childhood/school age workforce registry, and regardless of the reason, running a workforce registry can seem daunting at times. Joining the National Workforce Registry Alliance provides a registry with a support system that includes standards regarding data collection, as well as the ability to interact with other registry professionals all over the country. One area where support from other state’s registries can be very helpful is with the topic of membership. Some registries require membership, while others are completely voluntary. As participation in the national data set by state registries increases, we will hopefully be able to demonstrate the critical need for each state to have a comprehensive early childhood/school age
workforce registry where the participation by all members of the workforce is seen as important and necessary to the success of the early childhood and out of school time (OST) field.

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An early childhood workforce registry is an information system that:

•  promotes individual professional growth and development. The system:
  • empowers individuals to take charge of their professional growth and development.
  • offers information about various training requirements, links individuals to training opportunities (usually via a state-wide training calendar), tracks and documents completion of formal education, credentials, and industry specific training.
  • provides information about professional development organizations and instructors.
• connects individuals in the industry to Core Knowledge and Competencies, and Early Learning Guidelines/Standards.
  captures data about early childhood and out of school time (OST) practitioners in a variety of roles and settings, the data should include:
• demographics, education, qualifications, experience, income, and participation in professional learning.
• is based on state career-level systems that provide a framework for professional development.
  • Registries often maintain the state career pathway and verify submitted data in order to provide individual with a career pathway designation.
  • Registries track and document correlation of education and training opportunities with Core Knowledge and Competencies, and Early Learning Guidelines/Standards.
  • Registries allow administrators to keep track of important staff information for monitoring and quality assurance.
• recognizes and honors professional achievements of the early childhood and school age workforce. The system
  • provides comprehensive professional profile reports which may include certificates of achievement.
• informs policy makers and partners. The system:
  • provides data to inform creation and implementation of quality assurance initiatives. o provides data to inform discussions around accessibility of formal higher education.
  • provides data to inform discussions around compensation and retention initiatives.

 
 Download "What is a Registry?"

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