The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented public health emergency that crippled the child care market in the United States. This crisis highlighted the essential role of the early care and education (ECE) workforce in the nation’s economic stability and growth. The pandemic’s disproportionate effect on Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities further raised racial and social justice concerns.

In January 2021, the Urban Institute, Child Trends, and the Foundation for Child Development sponsored a virtual convening. The convening brought together scholars, along with national, state, and local experts, to discuss key issues affecting the ECE workforce before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants recommended policy and practice solutions to address the challenges of the structural wage and opportunity gaps the ECE workforce faces and to support workforce well-being. This report presents policy and practice recommendations.