A Demographic Comparison Between the Listed Home-Based Early Care and Education Workforce and Children in their Care

An early care and education (ECE) workforce that reflects the racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of the children in their care is an important dimension of child care quality (Downer, Goble, Myers & 2016; Markowitz, Bassok & Grissom, 2020). In 2012, out of the approximately 3.8 million members of the home-based early care and education workforce,¹ 107,220 were listed on a state or national registry of care providers, were paid to care for children, and provided regular care (i.e., at least five hours a week) for at least one child with whom they did not have a prior relationship (although they may have also cared for children with whom they had a prior relationship). These 107,220 teachers and caregivers served approximately 2 million children under age 6, and not yet in kindergarten (Paschall, Madill & Halle, 2020). Using the 2012 National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE), this snapshot compares the demographic characteristics of the listed, paid home-based ECE workforce providing regular care for at least one child with whom they have no prior relationship, and the demographic characteristics of the children in their care.