March, 2005 ACF/CCB 90YE0073 1

The Impact of Cash Incentives on Early Childhood Workforce Development and

Program Quality

Sara Gable & Yiting ChangUniversity of Missouri-Columbia

The original WIN project was made possible with funding from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to Kathy Thornburg and Sara Gable. Our sincere appreciation is extended to Project Director, Denise Mauzy; former Project Evaluation Director, Mary-alayne Hughes; Data Manager, Christy McCord; the many past and present staff and volunteers of WIN; and, most especially, to the early childhood professionals who participated.

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Background

Research consistently identifies caregiver specialized training and education as one of the strongest predictors of child care quality and, subsequently, child outcomes.

Unfortunately, research shows high rates of turnover in the child care workforce due in part to low wages and limited opportunities for training and professional advancement.

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What is WIN?

Missouri’s Workforce Incentive Project (WIN) is a private/public, research-driven initiative designed to increase early childhood workforce stability and educational attainment and to improve child care quality through the provision of bi-annual cash payments based on educational attainment.

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Research Objectives

Did WIN work? (i.e., when compared to the non-incentive receiving group, did the WIN group exhibit lower levels of turnover and more involvement in training and formal education and, over time, greater improvements in child care quality?)

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Research Objectives

What can we learn about early childhood incentive programs using a within-WIN program group analysis? (e.g., What characteristics of WIN participants are associated with child care program quality improvements?)

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Research Design

The sample consisted of 503 WIN participants (109 programs) and a comparison group of 376 individuals (87 programs) not participating in WIN.

Participants for both groups were recruited from state-licensed child care centers and home-based child care programs.

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Research Questions (Did WIN work?)

Workforce Development 1. Turnover

• When compared to the group who did not receive cash incentives, was participation in WIN associated with lower rates of staff turnover?

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Research Questions (Did WIN work?)

Workforce Development 2. Ongoing Training and Education

• When compared with the group who did not receive cash incentives, did WIN participants pursue more early childhood training and education?

• Furthermore, did WIN participants pursue a higher quality of training and technical support compared to the non-incentive-receiving group?

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Research Questions (Did WIN work?)

Child Care Quality3. When compared to child care programs

whose staff were not receiving cash incentives, did the centers and homes with staff participating in WIN demonstrate greater child care quality gains over time?

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Research Questions (Did WIN work?)

Sub-Group Analyses1. Centers versus Homes (workforce

development and program quality)2. Participant Role (workforce development

and program quality for child care teachers, aides, and directors, family home providers and assistants)

3. Rural versus Urban (workforce development and program quality)

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Research Questions (Within-Group Analyses)

Workforce Development Did the workforce development impact of

WIN vary across levels of the state's early childhood career ladder?

Did WIN participants leave poorer quality programs at a higher rate than those who were in better programs?

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Research Questions (Within-Group Analyses)

Child Care Quality What characteristics of WIN participants

(e.g., education level, child care setting and role) are associated with child care quality improvements?

What characteristics of WIN participants' child care programs (e.g., director educational attainment) are associated with child care quality improvements?

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Research Questions (Within-Group Analyses)

Education Requirements What individual and child care program

characteristics distinguish the WIN group participants who met the education requirements (i.e., moved up the career ladder) from those who did not?

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Timeline: Year One

Prepare data for data analyses (e.g., examine univariate properties of relevant variables)

Begin data analyses: “Did WIN work?” Prepare data-based policy brief on WIN for

Missouri Legislators Begin manuscript preparation on efficacy

of WIN

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Timeline: Year Two

Finalize manuscript on efficacy of WIN Begin within-WIN group data analyses Prepare second data-based policy brief on

WIN for Missouri Legislators Complete manuscript for within-WIN

group data analyses