Dr.

Edward Zigler Midwest Research Institute

March 16, 2016
12:30 4:30 pm
Our Workforce
"Our Workforce" is the theme for this years Edward Zigler Midwest Research
Institute. Come together to listen to state and national experts as they discuss the
most current research and data on the Head Start/Early Head Start workforce.
Recruiting, hiring and retaining our workforce has become a great challenge over
the last several years. With increasing requirements for credentialed staff, coupled
with the intense demands of the work and a decrease in resources how can we
make sure our number one resource is what it needs to be to make a difference for
each and every child and family we serve?
Meet Our Presenters:

Emmalie Dropkin, Director of Policy, Data, and Research,

National Head Start Association

What Does the Research Say About the Head Start/Early Head Start
and Early Childhood Workforce?
Learn about Dr. Robert Whitakers, from Temple College, research
in Pennsylvania on the wellness of Head Start staff and how best to
meet their physical and mental health needs.
Worthy Work, STILL Unlivable Wages: The Early Childhood
Workforce 25 Years after the National Child Care Staffing Study by
Marcy Whitebook, Deborah Phillips, and Carollee Howes
New evidence about the ways in which stress and economic
insecurity challenge teachers capacity to provide developmentally
supportive care and education is lending scientific support to the

claim that child well-being depends on adult well-being not only at

home but in out-of-home settings.
Building a Skilled Teacher Workforce - Across the K-12 and
early care and education (ECE) communities.
And much, much more

Dawn V Thomas, PhD Associate Director, Early Childhood

Parenting and Collaborative (ECAP) Project Coordinator, Illinois
Early Childhood Asset Map (IECAM), University of Illinois
Childrens Research Center
Overview of the Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth
through Age 8 - Institute of Medicine Report.
This report has been named one of the most important and transformative studies
of the ECE workforce
Reviews the science of child development and the implications for those who
work with children birth through age 8; explores the disconnected nature of
systems and services, emphasizing the need for a more unified approach; includes
13 recommendations that connect the science of child development to practice and
policy
Discover whats in the report for Head Start/Early Head Start

Joni Scritchlow Sr. Program Director, Gateways to Opportunity, Illinois

Network of Child Care Resource and Referral
State of the State of the Illinois Workforce
Discover what we know about the current workforce in Illinois and how its
impacting local agencies.
Learn about efforts underway regarding pay equity and the recent report on
Achieving Compensation Parity: Illinois Goal for the Field of Early Childhood
Care and Education
Illinois Higher Education Institutes play an important role in our professional
development system. Discover the newest research regarding infant/toddler
coursework, articulation, etc.

Lauri Morrison-Frichtl Executive Director, Illinois Head Start

Association
Illinois Head Start/Early Head Start Workforce Data in Illinois
What do we know about the Head Start Early Head Start workforce in
Illinois?
Discover what we know from the Program Information Report (PIR Data),
regarding overall salaries, retention, credentials, degrees, ethnicity, past
parents, etc.

Panel Discussion: Growing Our Own

Some of us remember when we invested in growing our own. We were
committed to supporting parents with gaining the skills, knowledge and
experience for entry level positions within our organizations. Times have
changed and now only 20% of our workforce are past parents. Ten years
ago this was over 60%. Does our staff reflect the children and families we
serve? Do we look more and more like other public institutions? Have we
remained community based?
Discover how several programs continue to invest in growing their own
workforce in spite of the increased degree/credential requirements.