Young children thrive when nurtured and educated by passionate, qualified educators who comprehend their unique needs. However, the supply of qualified professionals has diminished over time, prompting early care and education (ECE) programs in all settings (home-, center-, and school-based) to seek innovative strategies to continue operating.
Grow Your Own is an umbrella term that describes the many and dynamic, community-driven, equity-centered, holistic approaches designed to help communities support, strengthen, and sustain a well-qualified, experienced, and diverse ECE workforce by nurturing the talents that exist within it and removing barriers to entering and staying in the field. These strategies attract individuals from diverse backgrounds and life experiences who are new to ECE (e.g., high school students, career changers, parents of young children, non-classroom program staff) to enter the field and assist the existing ECE workforce in meeting their career aspirations.
Grow Your Own strategies support participants to earn credentials and degrees through a range of approaches that may include apprenticeship programs, cohort models, tuition assistance and scholarships, mentorship and leadership development, and prior learning assessment and credit for work experiences. They embrace every role within early care and education (ECE) programs—from lead educators and early intervention staff to special education teachers and directors.
The National ECE Workforce Center Grow Your Own asks early childhood systems and program leaders and institutions of higher education to explore the potential of Grow Your Own initiatives for their own communities and offers a variety of tools and resources to support implementation of these strategies in your community.
Grow Your Own ECE Quick Links
Grow Your Own ECE Webinar Series
Learn more about the essential elements of implementing Grow Your Own strategies from experts and those with on-the-ground experience.
Workforce Wednesday Webinar: Educator Voices on Grow Your Own Community-Driven Strategies
Recording and slides are available by clicking on the link.
Grow Your Own ECE: Catalyst for Recruitment
Recording and slides are available by clicking on the title link.
Grow Your Own ECE: Partnerships and Pathways
Recording and slides are available by clicking on the title link.
Grow Your Own ECE: Nurturing and Supporting Talent
Recording and slides are available by clicking on the title link.
Grow Your ECE Own Videos
These videos spotlight several successful Grow Your Own initiatives in communities across the country. You can use these suggested social media posts to share the videos with your networks.
Grow Your Own ECE Resources
These tools are designed to support implementation of Grow Your Own strategies in your community. Stay tuned for additional resources released throughout the campaign.
Grow Your Own ECE: An Introduction
This brief explores the transformative potential of Grow Your Own initiatives in strengthening and sustaining the early care and education […]
Published 2024
Grow Your Own ECE: Cultivating Community Partnerships
This brief expands upon the design and sustainability essential elements of Grow Your Own initiatives that are centered on solid […]
Published 2024
Grow Your Own ECE: Higher Education as an Essential Partner
This brief builds upon the ideas in “Grow Your Own ECE: An Introduction” and “Grow Your Own ECE: Cultivating Community Partnerships,” […]
Published 2024
Grow Your Own ECE: Higher Education Reflection Tool
This tool aims to assist institutions of higher education (IHEs) reflect on their readiness and capacity to participate in programs […]
Published 2024
Grow Your Own ECE: Program Leader Guidance
This brief builds upon the ideas presented in “Grow Your Own ECE: Cultivating Community Partnerships” to provide practical guidance for […]
Published 2024
Grow Your Own ECE: ECE Program Leader Reflection Tool
This tool is designed to help early care and education (ECE) program leaders and Child Care and Development Fund administrators […]
Published 2024