NAEYC members know this story all too well. Every few months, new headlines or proposals surface offering a familiar "solution" to the child care crisis: lower the bar. Cut training requirements. Loosen regulations. Bring in a cheaper workforce. 

These proposals claim to offer a quick fix for families facing high costs, but they ignore a fundamental truth: quality early childhood education cannot come from cutting corners. 

It’s time to push back against this narrative and lift up what we know works.

Three Reasons Policy Shortcuts Miss the Mark

Effective child care policy must be grounded in the lived realities of educators, families, and children. Here are three essential facts every policymaker must understand. 

The Workforce Crisis Is About Low Pay, Not High Standards

The idea that having standards pushes people away from early childhood education is simply not true. In most states, the bar to enter the workforce is already low. Still, programs across the country struggle to hire and retain qualified staff. 

The real reasons are clear: 

• Compensation remains too low to support a stable, professional workforce 
• Benefits are limited or nonexistent 
• Working conditions are often stressful and unsupported 

Where wages and benefits have improved, the supply of educators has increased. Washington, D.C., for example, implemented wage enhancements and saw measurable growth in workforce participation and program availability. 

A 2-year analysis of DC’s Pay Equity Fund, which provides pay supplements to early educators to align their compensation with their similarly qualified K-12 peers, found that the program increased child care employment in the District by 7 percent and generated, conservatively, a 23 percent return on investment.

Quality Early Education Depends on Qualified Educators

Early childhood education is not just a service to keep children safe while parents work. It is a foundational experience that supports brain development, learning, and social-emotional growth during the most sensitive years of life. 

Families do not just need child care. They need: 

• Skilled educators who understand child development 
• Developmentally appropriate practices grounded in research 
• Learning environments that nurture curiosity, relationships, and resilience 

High-quality early learning depends on educators who understand child development and use practices that promote growth, resilience, and relationships.  

Cutting corners on educator qualifications doesn’t lead to success. It undermines children's development, devalues educators’ skills, increases turnover, and ignores families’ needs for safe, nurturing, and enriching environments.

Real Solutions Require Real Public Investment

Proposals that claim to reduce costs by lowering wages or standards may seem appealing on the surface. In reality, they lead to deeper challenges, including: 

• A shrinking and unstable workforce 
• Reduced program quality 
• Decreased public trust in the early childhood system 

The path forward is not about spending less. It is about investing wisely. Strong systems are built when we: 

• Pay early educators a fair and competitive wage 
• Support meaningful quality standards grounded in child development 
• Fund early care and education like the public good it is 

Recent evidence from Vermont shows the benefit of this approach. In 2023, the state passed legislation financing sustained public funding for child care, investing in increased subsidy eligibility for families, and increased reimbursement rates for child care providers. A recent analysis found the law has increased the number of center- and home-based providers in the state, reversing years of declining supply, while also increasing the number of programs accepting subsidies – increasing choice and affordability for families. 

And just recently, New Mexico announced a move toward universal child care that is based on support and compensation for early childhood educators working in all settings!

What You Can Do

As a professional community, NAEYC members have the expertise, experience, and voice to influence policy in meaningful ways. You can help ensure the focus stays where it belongs: on children, families, and the educators who support them. 

Here’s how to take action: 

• Speak up when you hear proposals that cut corners instead of solving problems
• Share your expertise and stories with families and legislators 
• Advocate for investment, not disinvestment, in our field 

Moving Forward Together

We all want a child care system that works. But we cannot build it by lowering the bar. Children deserve quality. Families deserve access. Educators deserve respect and fair compensation. 

NAEYC members are at the heart of that vision. Let’s continue working together to advance policies that reflect the true value of early learning and the professionals who make it possible. 

Join us in advocating for the policies we know work. Sign up for NAEYC’s Advocacy in Action newsletter to stay informed, stay engaged, and let your voice be heard!