child care workforce recruitment & retention toolkit

Lead With Confidence: A Toolkit to Recruit, Retain, and Grow Your Child Care Team
Section 1: Introduction
  • Background & Purpose
    • Zero to Five Montana launched the Workforce Recruitment and Retention Initiative in 2024 in partnership with the Birth-5 Bright Futures Grant through the Montana Department of Health and Human Services. Through the initiative, Zero to Five Montana led two cohorts of child care program leaders and offered technical assistance, resources, training, and support to assist leaders in developing, implementing, and sustaining effective workforce recruitment and retention practices in their programs. The goal of the initiative was to create higher employee retention across child care businesses and to develop a replicable model of evidence-based recruitment and retention strategies that can be customized and implemented in programs across the state. This Child Care Workforce Recruitment and Retention Toolkit is a compilation of  best practices and strategies stemming from the work of the initiative.
  • How to Use this Toolkit
    • This toolkit is presented in sections that made sense as child care program leaders worked through the cohorts. The resources contained in each section will help you to better understand your program’s needs and the areas of growth that you would like to focus on. To view the resources in each section, simply click “+” on the section heading and you can open, download, and view the resources. 
  • Why Recruitment and Retention Matters in Early Childhood
    • Recruitment and retention is critical in early care and education programs because a stable, qualified workforce directly impacts children’s development, overall program quality, and ultimately supports family stability.
      • Impacts on children: 
        • Disrupted attachments: Children rely on stable relationships with caregivers to build trust and security. High turnover can cause stress and behavioral issues. 
        • Inconsistent learning: Frequent staff changes can lead to inconsistency in the classroom, which can negatively impact a child’s early learning and social emotional skill building. 
      • Impacts on programs and staff: 
        • Program quality can decline due to high rates of turnover. 
        • Remaining staff can suffer from burnout as they must take on more responsibility, which leads to increased workload, stress, and higher rates of burnout which creates a vicious cycle that impacts the staffing crisis. 
        • Professional development investments are less effective when staff leave shortly after being trained. 
        • Staff turnover is incredibly expensive and can cost a program thousands of dollars in expenses from recruitment, hiring, and training. 
      • Impacts on families and the economy: 
        • Parents depend on reliable, consistent early learning programs to maintain their employment. Staffing shortages and potential classroom closures due to turnover disrupt work schedules and cause stress for families. 
        • Unfilled positions lead to classroom closures, decrease enrollment and ultimately decrease revenue for private programs. 
        • High rates of turnover put a strain on the overall economy as child care is vital for working parents and caregivers. When the child care sector is unstable, it has wide economic consequences. 
  • Program Spotlights: Why We Joined the Child Care Workforce Recruitment & Retention Cohort

    • “I would like to learn more about how to find Quality staff and give them incentives to stay longer for reasons other than paying them higher wages” -Jenna Fallow (Mountain Meadows Montessori)  

    • “I need better retention and less turnover. I want to communicate with my employees better and have everyone on the same page. I want to support employees and have them support each other.” – Brandilyn Roeder (Happy Campers Child Care Center)  

This section will help you assess yourself as a leader and understand how effective employee life cycle management can enhance employee satisfaction and engagement. It will also walk you through a sample action plan and how you can create and implement your own action plan for implementation and successful sustainability.

“This cohort has helped me gain insight on myself as a leader and helped me to retain staff much more effectively and efficiently.” – Ashley Anderson, Kid Kountry

This section will help you identify the elements of a captivating employer brand and its alignment with values and culture. Learn how to integrate employer branding into recruitment messaging and processes and dvelop tactics for showcasing the employer brand throughout the candidate journey.  

“We have been working heavily on our website to ensure that we are marketing to future employees as much as we are marketing to families to enroll children.” – Crystal Kist, TLC Center 

This section will help you understand the difference between talent acquisition and recruitment to create a positive candidate experience. Find the perfect fit for your team by asking the correct questions during the interview process.  

“It has given me hope that I am not the only one facing these recruitment issues. It has also given me more tools and strategies to use to be proactive about our hiring.” – Jessica Hurley, Little Treeschool  

This section will help you learn proven procedures to onboard new employees effectively through examples of onboarding strategies that support new hires while they become members of your team. Remember that onboarding is a process that occurs over time for a new employee to feel supported. 

“We were experiencing high turnover in the first 90 days of employment. We have completely revamped our onboarding process to be a structured, high quality, and engaging process for the new hire, and the level of professionalism and increase in positive culture has skyrocketed – Jessica Kannegiesser, Young Families Early Head Start 

  • Zero to Five Data Note: by working through the cohort and implementing strategies like stronger onboarding, YFEHS improved both their retention and turnover rates significantly. The year prior to the cohort, the retention rate was 75% or less and at the completion of the cohort it was 110.53%. The turnover rate the year prior to the cohort was 25% or more and at the completion of the cohort it was 10.53%. 

 

  • Interview Questions Bank
  • Orientation & Onboarding Checklists
  • 30/60/90 Day Onboarding Plan
    • The highest quality business practices for hiring, orientation, and onboarding are summarized in the Program Administration Scale Third Edition (PAS-3) under Item 1 – Hiring and Orientation. PAS-3 recommends employers’ orientation and onboarding policies and procedures include the following:
      • 1) Providing staff handbooks, personnel policies, and family handbooks to new hires,
      • 2) Employees meet with their supervisor during their first week to review the organization’s mission and vision and thoroughly go over their job responsibilities,
      • 3) new teaching staff observe their new classroom for at least half a day before taking over responsibility,
      • 4) reviewing staff orientation policies annually,
      • 5) having a phased orientation process during the new hire’s probationary period, and
      • 6) getting written feedback from the employee about the orientation process upon completion of their probationary period
  • Staff Handbook Tips
  • Peer Mentorship Ideas for New Hires
    • The Program Administration Scale Third Edition (PAS-3) addresses staff development and professional growth in Item 3, Strand 4. Peer mentorship opportunities relate to job-embedded professional development and may include reflective practice, peers observing new hires and providing feedback about teaching practices, integrating plan-do-study-act cycles to improve classroom quality, and sharing with peers about how teaching practices are influenced by professional development activities.
    • Reflective Practice Tool – Head Start
    • Plan Do Study Act – National Implementation Research Network
  • Orientation Onboarding Ideas from Cohort Members

This section will help you develop strategies to create and maintain a positive work environment. Learn to apply key principles and practices of professionalism in early childhood settings, use effective approaches and tools for resolving conflicts and solving problems and identify strategies to adapt leadership styles to support employees during challenges. 

“The increase of wages helped us recruit a highly qualified teacher, I think retention comes from within…with management and overall workplace culture and wellness. I always say that people don’t leave their jobs, they leave their boss so it’s always been important to me, to value each and every employee. Invest in them!” – Sandy Stavig, HRDC Head Start 

        • Focus: What people do; their performance and accomplishments. 
        • How it’s often shown: Formal channels like performance reviews, awards, or public shout-outs for a specific success. 
        • Benefits: Motivates employees, reinforces desired behaviors, and increases job satisfaction and loyalty based on performance.  
      • Appreciation 
        • What it is: Recognizing and enjoying the value, significance, or quality of a person. 
        • Focus: Who people are; their inherent value and contributions as a person. 
        • How it’s often shown: Informal channels like a casual “thank you,” impromptu acts of kindness, or a manager showing they care about an individual regardless of their latest results. 
        • Benefits: Creates a continuous feeling of being valued, fosters a sense of security, and builds stronger, more supportive relationships and a healthier company culture.  
      • The importance of both 
        • A culture needs both recognition and appreciation to thrive. Discovery in Action explains that focusing only on recognition can make people feel stressed and constantly need to seek approval, while appreciation, when combined with deserved recognition, helps people feel valued and more secure. 
        • When leaders consistently model appreciation and managers provide personalized recognition, it encourages peer-to-peer appreciation and builds a more positive and productive environment. 
        • VIDEO: Why We Need Appreciation, Not Just Recognition (At Work)
  • Staff Recognition & Motivation Ideas
  • Leadership Role in Retention
  • Leading Through Change Guide
  • Self-Assessment for Change Readiness
  • Cost of Turnover Calculator

This section will help you understand the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) concept and its significance in workforce strategies. Learn to examine methods for collecting and using data to identify strengths and needs and formulate action plans for improvement. 

“My biggest take away has been really having time to evaluate the leader that I am and being more vulnerable and authentic with my leadership and hoping that shines through our staff.” – Jessica Hurley, Little Treeschool 

This section will help you define what employee development means and its importance in the childcare business. You will be able to recognize gaps in expectations and experiences around employee development and learn techniques to engage staff in the decision-making process to avoid director burnout.  

“A realization occured during this timeframe in the cohort that our administrators (director/program manager) need to better understand our very young staff that are entering this field, so that we know best how to guide and support them.” – Sarah Mitchell, Florence Crittenton Child Enrichment Center

“We really loved the quote “Clear is Kind”. I saw that it really helped my Assistant Director with learning how to lead. I also liked that “Data is your Team’s Effort”. This helps me remember that data is important and why. I also learned a lot from other members of this cohort.” – Regina R. Ohnstad-Couture, Quail Hollow Cooperative Day School 

  • Building Leadership Capacity in Your Team
    • Building leadership capacity in early care and education involves developing skills like strong communication, emotional intelligence, and a clear vision, while also fostering a supportive environment for staff. Key strategies include mentoring staff, investing in professional development, and acting as an advocate for the field. The following are activities that can contribute to developing leadership amongst your team. 
      • Provide professional development: Offer opportunities for staff to grow their skills, explore new teaching practices, and receive coaching and mentorship. 
      • Foster a positive culture: Create a safe, supportive environment where staff feel respected and heard and encourage them to be involved in decision-making. 
      • Adopt specific leadership styles: 
        • Servant leadership: Prioritize the needs of the team by supporting their efforts and helping them find their purpose. 
        • Instructional leadership: Work alongside teachers to improve practices, set clear goals, and provide specific guidance. 
        • Transformational leadership: Encourage staff independence and ownership by fostering a culture of growth and change, rather than micromanaging. 
      • Develop a clear vision: Establish a long-term vision for the center to provide purpose and direction, which helps guide daily decisions and motivate staff. 
      • Manage administrative and operational tasks: Handle day-to-day responsibilities while also focusing on innovation, ethical practices, and quality improvement. 
  • Engaging Staff in Decision-Making
    • To engage child care program staff in decision-making, foster open communication through regular meetings and feedback channels like surveys, delegate responsibility to build trust and empower employees, and collaborate on solutions to challenges to create a sense of ownership. Creating a shared vision and providing professional development opportunities are also crucial for a team that feels invested in the program’s success.  
      • Strategies for engaging staff
        • Foster open communication
          • Hold regular meetings: Schedule consistent staff meetings to discuss challenges, share successes, and provide a forum for open discussion and feedback.
          • Establish multiple feedback channels: Use suggestion boxes, anonymous surveys, or one-on-one conversations to gather input from staff.
          • Practice active listening: Show that you value staff perspectives by actively listening to their concerns and ideas, especially during tough conversations.
          • Use technology: Implement communication tools like child care management software to facilitate real-time communication and information sharing. 
        • Empower staff
          • Delegate responsibilities: Empower employees to make decisions and take ownership of their work to build trust and confidence.
          • Collaborate on solutions: Work with staff to find solutions to challenges, making them feel like a valued part of the process.
          • Encourage leadership: Ask staff to lead parts of meetings or projects to give them opportunities to take the lead. 
        • Build a shared vision and culture
          • Define a shared vision: Work with staff to establish common goals for the program to unify the team’s efforts.
          • Recognize and appreciate contributions: Acknowledge staff members for their unique strengths and contributions, whether in staff meetings or through written notes.

This section will help you get a head start on your recruitment and retention action plans by providing you with templates and actionable resources. 

“The mentoring and the resources were amazing! I loved connecting with so many providers and learning from each other. The books were great resources, and I’m so thankful for all the knowledge and care.” – Melissa Velin, Discovery Kidzone 

“Most valuable was the sharing of resources and ideas. I benefited by being challenged to try new and different approaches.” – Valerie Reynolds, New Kids on the Block  

“The books were very helpful, and I have used many of the books that were given to us for reference. I really enjoyed the topics for our cohort sessions. Each topic was well planned and offered concrete solutions, suggestions, and helpful information for what we do.” – Sarah Ederer, The Growing Tree