Every state is grappling with the same problem: there aren’t enough child care workers, and the ones doing the job are underpaid and unlikely to stay. That shortage restricts how many children a provider can serve, even when classroom space is available, and it ripples into the broader economy every time a parent can’t find care or can’t get to work.
Fixing this requires a professional child care workforce supported by clear roles, defined competencies, pathways for career growth, and financing built to last. Using the 10-step framework from the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Top-Down, Bottom-Up report, this analysis grades all 50 states and DC on how far they’ve come in building that system.