Building a Resilient Early Childhood Workforce: Lessons from CIRCLE Continuation Funding

In response to the impact of COVID-19 on child care in Colorado, the state legislature passed a bill in 2021 to create four grant programs aimed at boosting early childhood care and education. One of these, the Community Innovation and Resilience for Care and Learning Equity (CIRCLE) Grant Program, was implemented by Early Milestones Colorado in partnership with the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC). The CIRCLE Grant Program used time-limited federal funds to invest nearly $23 million in innovative, community-led projects to strengthen Colorado’s early childhood ecosystem. In a year, CDEC and Early Milestones awarded 226 grants focused on addressing early childhood challenges in Colorado communities.

Of these projects, a large number focused on workforce challenges worsened by the pandemic. Workforce challenges persist in early childhood education due to low wages, high turnover rates, and limited professional development opportunities. The demanding nature of the job, coupled with often inadequate benefits and lack of career advancement, leads to burnout and staff shortages. Additionally, inconsistent funding and lack of policy support make it difficult for programs to attract and retain qualified educators, ultimately affecting the quality and stability of early childhood education.

The Buell Foundation has a longstanding history of supporting of early childhood workforce initiatives. As the CIRCLE  grant came to a close, the Buell Foundation invited CIRCLE grantees with workforce-related projects to apply for a targeted round of grant funding focused on systems-level impact. A cohort of ten grantees was formed to continue evolving their CIRCLE-funded workforce projects, with support from Early Milestones to convene and support grantees. This report shares common themes that emerged from this cohort of projects, highlights of each project, and recommendations for next steps.