Supporting Family Child Care Providers and Center Directors Celebrating and Incorporating Black History Month

Exposing children to the history of the United States of America and its wealth of diversity can be incredibly impactful on their development. Teaching students that Black history is American history improves children’s ability to embrace and respect the differences of others. We encourage educators to use Black History Month as a special time to shine a spotlight on the many contributions that Black Americans have made, not only in this country but also throughout the world. The celebration of Black History Month is a tremendous opportunity to gather resources to share with families, children, and staff within your early childhood program that can be used throughout the year.


Books

The wonderful thing about books is their ability to take the reader anywhere they want to go. If you want to learn about Black poets like Langston Hughes, just reach out to his autobiography or read some of his poems. Finding books for children centered on Black history does not have to fit into a perfectly crafted box. Ask yourself, “How do I want the children in my classroom to feel after reading the book?” or “What meaningful message I want to convey?” We listed some books that might be great options for your classroom.

  • Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History by Vashti Harrison
  • Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison
  • Have You Thanked an Inventor Today?by Patrice McLauren
  • I, Too, Am America by Langston Hughes and Bryan Collier
  • Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry and Vashti Harrison
  • Dream Big Little One by Vashti Harrison


Curriculum

Children want to see characters that look like them; representation matters, as we all know. A major concern in education includes the under-representation of prominent Black figures in history. The development of identity is a complex process that begins early in life and is influenced by various factors, including individual characteristics, family background, or social and historical contexts. The messages children receive from the environment significantly affect their self-understanding and are often reflected in early experiences. Using multicultural materials and activities in the classroom promotes healthy identity development. Build the foundation of pride and knowledge by introducing young children to famous and less known Black inventors, scientists, or authors and design activities around their stories. A useful collection of resources includes:


Families

Families can make huge contributions to our collective understanding; ask them how they want to get involved. Family members can share age-appropriate historical items that are relevant to Black history. Maybe, they can lead an art lesson based on Black artistry. Invite them to your classroom to read books about African Americans that have influenced history. You might also set a small collection of books that families can borrow to read to their children at home. Another great way to involve your program’s families is to provide them with a list of local African American museums or institutions to visit. Some museums offer virtual tours. The possibilities are endless! Below are some great resources for teachers and families that may be useful.


At the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership, we strongly believe in the value of celebrating the history of African Americans. African American history should be incorporated across the curriculum throughout the year, not just in February. Through reading books, classroom activities, and engaging families, you celebrate and respect the stories and voices of Black people. Early childhood program leaders and educators have an ethical responsibility to place diversity, equity, and inclusion principles and goals at the center of their organization. The change includes shifting initiatives and attention to promoting an anti-racism curriculum that brings equal academic opportunities in early childhood programs.


“Anti-bias endeavors are part of a proud and long educational tradition — one that continues to seek and to make the dream of justice and equality a reality. It happens day by day, and calls on our best teaching, relationships, and leadership skills.”

— Derman-Sparks, LeeKeenan, & Nimmo (2015, p. 164)

Marie Masterson, Ph.D., is the director of quality assessment at the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership. She holds a doctorate in early childhood education, is a licensed teacher, and is a national speaker and author of many books and articles that address research-based, practical skills for high-quality teaching, behavior guidance, quality improvement in early childhood programs, and leadership. She is a contributing author and editor of the book, Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children Birth Through Age Eight, Fourth Edition.

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Examining the Role of Employer Benefits and Turnover in Center-based Child Care

By Robyn Kelton, M.A. • June 27, 2025
INTRODUCTION Turnover rates in child care are among the highest in education, with over 160,000 workforce openings predicted annually (Bassok et al., 2014; Doromal et al., 2022; Joughin, 2021; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). While some turnover is expected and even necessary, the levels of turnover experienced in the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC) are not only alarmingly high but deeply problematic. In 2021, a national survey conducted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children found that over 80% of child care centers were experiencing a staffing shortage, with the majority of those programs reporting one-to-five open roles, but 15% reporting between six and 15 open roles (NAEYC, 2021). Staffing shortages result in lost revenue, financial uncertainty, and program instability, often forcing administrators to operate below capacity and/or under reduced hours (NAEYC, 2021; NAEYC, 2024; Zero to Three, 2024). Limited enrollment slots and classroom and program closures lead to increased waiting lists (Zero to Three, 2024; Carrazana, 2023). In turn, families are placed in a highly vulnerable position of needing to leave the workforce to stay home with their child or turn to potentially unsafe or unregulated child care. Moreover, increased turnover in classrooms interrupts continuity of care and disrupts the relationships built between children and their educators (Reidt-Parker, J., & Chainski, M. J. (2015). Research has begun to highlight some of the programmatic and personnel characteristics predictive of increased staff turnover in ECEC programs. Low wages are most commonly identified as a strong predictor of turnover (Amadon et al., 2023; Bryant et al., 2023; Fee, 2024; Guevara, 2022; Totenhagen et al., 2016). However, workforce advocates and some researchers have begun to expand conversations on compensation to explore the impact the profession’s general lack of benefits such as paid time off, access to health insurance, and retirement benefits has on retention (e.g., Amadon et al., 2023; Bryant et al., 2023; Fee, 2024; Lucas, 2023). While informative, this body of work has typically approached benefits as binary variables (i.e., have or do not have) rather than reflect the spectrum on which benefits are commonly offered (e.g., the number of days off, the percent of insurance covered by the employer, and levels of retirement matching funds). This Research Note aims to expand on previous work investigating the relationship between benefits and turnover by exploring the possibility of a more nuanced relationship between the variables to determine if the level of benefits offered impacts turnover rates. METHOD This study used data collected via formal Program Administration Scale, 3rd Edition (PAS-3) assessments conducted by Certified PAS-3 Assessors between 2023 and 2025. To become certified, PAS-3 assessors must first achieve reliability (a score of at least 86%) on a test conducted after four days of training on the tool. Next, they must conduct two PAS assessments within three months of reliability training. PAS-3 national anchors reviewed the completed assessments for consistency, accuracy, and completeness. The study analyzed data from 133 PAS-3 assessments collected during the certification process across 12 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Mariana Islands.  Measures Data for this study were collected using the PAS-3, a valid and reliable tool used to measure and improve Whole Leadership practices in center-based programs (Talan, Bella, Jorde Bloom, 2022). The PAS-3 includes 25 items, each composed of 2-5 indicator strands and scored on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = inadequate, 3 = minimal, 5 = good, and 7 = excellent). Item scores are averaged to determine a mean PAS-3 score. Of particular interest to this study is Item 5: Benefits. Item 5 measures employee access to health insurance and considers what percentage of the cost is paid by the employer, the total number of paid time off days within the first and fifth years of employment, access to a retirement plan, and the percentage at which the employer will match the employee’s contribution. Last, Item 5 explores provisions made to cover the costs of staff’s professional development. Non-applicable is allowed as a response for indicators related to health insurance and retirement if there are no full-time staff employed by the program. Sample Program enrollment ranged in size from four children to 285, with a mean enrollment of 65 and a median of 55. Total program staff for the sample ranged from two to 44 staff, with an average of just under 14 staff (13.93) and a standard deviation of 8.80. Table 1 below provides a detailed breakdown of staff by role and full-time and part-time status.
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