Child care professionals earn some of the lowest wages in the US workforce, contributing to high levels of turnover and inconsistency in caregiver-child relationships. In early 2025, King County, Washington, launched the Best Starts for Kids Child Care Wage Boost Pilot, which provides quarterly direct payments to selected child care professionals to address low pay, reduce turnover, and improve workforce well-being. This brief examines the first-year impacts of the pilot program on workforce stability, and the workforce’s perspectives on the benefits to recruitment, retention, stability, and quality of care at participating child care programs.

Why This Matters

High workforce instability can mean persistent staffing challenges, classroom closures, and financial difficulties for child care businesses. Likewise, it can cause families to see reduced access to quality care and a lack of consistent caregivers at a critical stage of child development. Interventions like the Wage Boost Pilot show promise for reducing turnover and stabilizing and strengthening the child care workforce.

What We Found

• The Wage Boost Pilot reduced job searching among participating child care professionals. Child care professionals participating in the wage boost were less likely to look for a new job than nonparticipants.
• Child care professionals reported that the pilot improved recruitment and retention. Program directors said the pilot made it easier to attract and retain qualified staff. Likewise, child care professionals said they planned to stay in their current job longer than they otherwise would have, because of the pilot.
• Child care professionals reported that the pilot supported child care program quality. Child care professionals said the pilot helped them focus on children’s needs and development and increased their engagement at work.

How We Did It

This analysis draws from baseline and follow-up surveys and focus groups that assess the first-year impacts of the Wage Boost Pilot. The study leverages the pilot’s randomized lottery design, comparing outcomes for child care professionals who received wage supplements with those who did not, among facilities that applied to the program. Surveys measured job satisfaction and commitment, workforce well-being, and outcomes of the pilot. Focus groups provided additional context on participants’ experiences. Seven hundred and fifty-two participants completed surveys and 45 participants engaged in 7 focus groups.