The 2022 Arkansas Workforce Study: Instructional Staff in Early Childhood Care & Education, conducted by researchers with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Research and Evaluation Division, examines the experiences and working conditions of Arkansas’s early childhood educators and the factors that can affect the strength and stability of the workforce. The study looks at educator compensation and benefits, education and professional development, and the barriers and supports early educators experience in their work.
Drawing on responses from nearly 1,300 current and former early childhood educators, the report provides insight into economic security, workforce turnover and retention, professional well-being, and access to professional learning. Its findings help build a clearer picture of the conditions affecting Arkansas’s early childhood workforce and point to opportunities to strengthen compensation, professional growth, workforce stability, and the supports educators need to serve young children.
See the full report here.