2010 Indiana Child Care Workforce Study

Every day, while they are working or going to school, Indiana families entrust the care and education of over 116,000 children to child care workers in licensed child care centers, unlicensed registered ministries, licensed family child care homes, and Head Start and Early Head Start programs around the state (Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States, 2009). In 2007, 65% of the children in Indiana under the age of six lived in families in which all parents present were in the workforce (Source: 2011 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, The Annie E. Casey Foundation). Between 2004 and 2007, there was a 5% increase in the number of children in Indiana under the age of six living in families in which all parents present were in the workforce (Source: 2011 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, The Annie E. Casey Foundation).  The early childhood education industry benefits not only the children who receive care and education, but also the economy of Indiana. The availability of child care is associated with working parents’ reduced absenteeism, reduced turnover, and increased productivity at their jobs. Access to early childhood education services also allows greater labor market participation of parents and increases the ability of parents to pursue education. Studies have found significant long-term benefits associated with children’s participation in high-quality early childhood education, including improved educational achievement, higher earnings and savings, fewer arrests and incarcerations, and other reductions in public spending. The 2005 Indiana Child Care Workforce Study provided a baseline of information about the working conditions of the people in Indiana who care for and educate its youngest children. In 2010, the Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children, Inc., with funding from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Family Resources, Bureau of Child Care, through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), coordinated a statewide survey to collect comprehensive data about the child care workforce in Indiana. The 2010 Indiana Child Care Workforce Study will provide the first follow-up study comparing the data collected in 2010 to that collected in 2005. In December of 2010, surveys were emailed and mailed to directors and teachers in licensed child care centers, unlicensed registered ministries, licensed Head Start and Early Head Start facilities, and to licensed family child care programs. Survey response rates were 38% of directors (n=477 director surveys collected), 28% of teachers (n=3,228 teacher surveys collected), and 28% of family child care providers (n=768 family child care provider surveys collected).  The data from the workforce surveys provide information about this very important industry and the critical issues that child care professionals face. This 2010 Indiana Child Care Workforce Study provides a comparison to the 2005 Indiana Child Care Workforce Study, which will better enable decision-makers to evaluate and plan statewide initiatives to support child care professionals and the children whom they care for and educate daily. 2010 Indiana Child Care Workforce Study >> Read Careers in Early Childhood, 2011: An Indiana Directory

2007 Indiana Child Care Workforce Study Special Report

The early years of a child’s life shape who he will become, and the quality of care and education he receives is instrumental in helping him achieve success in school and life. The quality of care and education children receive is enhanced when teachers have increased education and specialized training.

For the second time, the Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children (Indiana AEYC), in conjunction with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Family Services, Bureau of Child Care, published Working in Child Care in Indiana.  This 2007 Special Report on Teachers and Directors Working in Licensed Child Care Centers & Unlicensed Registered Child Care Ministries builds on work begun in 2005 and provides an analysis of data provided by surveyed teachers and directors from across the state.

The study finds that teacher salaries remain markedly low and are, in fact, on par with that of parking lot attendants and food preparation workers. Fifty-six percent of child care centers/ministries surveyed do not provide health insurance assistance. The majority of teachers and directors are parents, but only 18% of employing centers provide free child care. 29% provide paid retirement benefits.        Yet, Indiana’s early childhood teachers and directors are committed to providing children with stable, quality care: the state’s turnover rate has dropped from 26% to 24%. Directors have a median of 13 years in the early childhood field, and lead teachers have a median of seven years in the early childhood field. Over 60% of teachers and directors surveyed say they would like to further their education.      2007 Indiana Child Care Workforce Study: Special Report on Teachers and Directors Working in Licensed Child Care Centers & Unlicensed Registered Child Care Ministries

2005 Indiana Child Care Workforce Study (PDF 660KB)  2005 Indiana Child Care Workforce Study County Data Sheets