Job Demands and Resources experienced by the Early Childhood Education Workforce

• In Event: COVID-19 and the Early Childhood Workforce: Analysis of Risk, Wellbeing, Resilience, and Modified Teaching Modalities

Abstract

The early childhood education (ECE) workforce plays a key role in promoting early childhood development through their interactions with young children in their care during these formative years (Whitebook, McLean, & Austin, 2016). Despite the importance of the health and wellbeing of those responsible for providing safe, stable, and nurturing environments for children, it is often overlooked. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant disruptions in care and potentially detrimental impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of the ECE workforce.

This study applied the Job Demands-Resources Model (JD-R) and included administration of a survey in the Fall 2019 and Fall 2020 to examine disparities in demands and resources that may impact job satisfaction among ECE providers in Colorado. The survey tool included selected items from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Quality of Worklife Survey as well as validated mental health and wellbeing tools including: the Perceived Stress Scale, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale, and the Brief Resilience Scale. McNemar tests and 2-proportion Z-tests were conducted to compare pre-pandemic demands and resources to a national workforce sample as well as pre-pandemic and current demands and resources faced by ECE providers due to COVID-19.

Pre-pandemic data suggested that ECE providers experience higher levels of personal demands, including depression and perceived stress, and external demands, including workload and staffing concerns, compared to the national workforce (all p<.01). These data also illustrated disparities related to resource access; ECE staff reported lower levels of personal resources, including mindfulness, and less access to external resources including safety climate, resource adequacy, role clarity, respect, and management relationships (all p<.01). Only 34% of ECE staff reported being very satisfied with their work compared to 49% of the national workforce (p<.01). External resources were significantly and positively associated with job satisfaction (B=.09, p<.01). Preliminary analyses of current data (Fall 2020; current n=73; anticipated n=250) compared to pre-pandemic data suggests that although demands of the ECE workforce remain high, personal and external resources may have increased. For example, ECE providers are reporting lower rates of demands, including workload and staffing concerns, and higher rates of resources, such as mindfulness, respect, trust and positive management relationships ((all p<.01). Job satisfaction has increased from 34% to 38% in this sample of ECE providers.

These findings suggest that ECE providers experience significantly more demands, including depression and stress, and significantly fewer resources compared to nationally available normative samples and that resources impact job satisfaction. Interestingly, these findings also suggest that COVID-19 has resulted in decreased demands and increased resources, which collectively may lead to increased job satisfaction among the ECE workforce. This may be due to smaller classroom sizes (centers currently operating at ~80% capacity), a greater national focus on supporting the ECE workforce, and/or more flexible work schedules. Significant disparities remain and implications and recommendations for how to mitigate demands and promote resources among the ECE workforce will be presented.

Group Authors

Charlotte V. Farewell, Jennie Quinlan, and Jini Puma, University of Colorado- Anschutz Medical Campus
Charlotte.farewell@cuanschutz.edu, jennie.quinlan@cuanschutz.edu, jini.puma@cuanschutz.edu

Authors

• Charlotte Farewell, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
  Presenting Author

• Jini Puma, University of Colorado Denver - Anschutz Medical Campus
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jennie V Quinlan, University of Colorado Denver
  Non-Presenting Author