FAQs

What is the purpose of the study?

The study provides program- and individual-level data on the ECE workforce. This information will help to better inform effective ECE workforce policy. Building on the 2025 California ECE Workforce Study, the current study will survey early educators to track their well-being and working conditions, and to examine the impact of on-going policy changes, including transitional kindergarten. 

Who will be included in the study?

Center directors, lead teachers, and assistants/aides from both public and private programs; family child care providers; and TK teachers and paraprofessionals will be included in the study. Participants will be drawn from every region of the state.

How will center directors, center teaching staff, family child care providers, and TK teachers and paraprofessionals be selected?

Participants will be selected from early educators who completed the 2025 California ECE Workforce Study and agreed to be contacted by CSCCE for future research. We will also invite small family child care providers, whom we were unable to survey in 2025, to participate in the study.

When will center directors, center teaching staff, family child care providers, TK teachers and paraprofessionals be contacted if they are selected?

Selected educators will be contacted by CSCCE in spring 2026.

What types of questions will be asked?

The survey asks individual-level questions. They include questions about educators’ racial and ethnic background, education and experience, job characteristics, and access to supports, as well their well-being, wages and benefits, and professional challenges. FCC providers and directors will also be asked program-level questions. These questions cover program characteristics, business challenges, and the impact of TK expansion.

In what languages will the survey be available?

All surveys will be available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic.

How can the surveys be completed?

All surveys are offered online as a web survey.

How long will the survey take to complete?

For center teachers, center assistants/aides as well as TK teachers, paraprofessionals, and assistants/aides, the survey should take about 15 minutes to complete. For center directors and family child care providers, the survey should take about 45 minutes to complete.

How will you keep my information safe?

Keeping your information confidential is extremely important to us. E-mails and other personally identifiable information will be stored separately from your survey responses and connected to survey responses via code key. The code key is encrypted and kept on a password-protected computer in a locked office to which only study personnel have access. We will report all results in summary form and never for individuals or individual programs.

Will I be able to see the results of the study?

We will be publishing the findings beginning Fall 2026. To stay up-to-date on our publications, visit our website at https://cscce.berkeley.edu/