A key component to delivering high-quality Early Head Start services is a stable and healthy workforce. However, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the already-persistent problem of high staff turnover in the child care and early education field.

In this fact sheet, we present national estimates of program-level turnover and vacancy rates among Early Head Start education and child development staff in 2022.

Why This Matters

Historically, infant-toddler teachers have received lower pay and shown higher turnover than teachers serving preschoolers, raising concerns for Early Head Start programs aiming to combat turnover in the wake of the pandemic.

What We Found

• In 2022, EHS programs on average reported an annual turnover rate of 29 percent and a vacancy rate of 9 percent for their education and child development staff.
• Staff turnover rates differed across states, with the highest turnover in Kentucky, Alaska, and Montana, and the lowest in Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Mississippi.
• One out of four EHS teachers and home visitors who left their positions in 2021–22 reported leaving for higher compensation.

How we did it

We analyzed data from the 2021–22 Head Start Program Information Report (PIR), collected from every Early Head Start program as well as Head Start programs serving children ages 3 to 5. We calculated turnover and vacancy rates for each program and then calculated average turnover and vacancy rates across programs nationally. We then calculated a total turnover rate for each state.