About this session

Thursday, 11:50 AM - 1:20 PM

Workforce Challenges: Examining Caregiving Contexts for Early Educators, Child Welfare Social Workers, and Shelter Staff

This symposium underscores the importance of caregiving contexts for providers and children, particularly in marginalized populations. We discuss caregiving contexts across four studies. The first is a state-wide mixed-methods investigation of the working conditions and experiences of child welfare social workers. It examines how the expectations and practices within child welfare affect the well-being of social workers, and in turn, influence the quality of care provided to children.

The second study explores how interruptions during planning time in NAEYC-accredited early childhood education and care programs impact teachers’ ability to prepare lessons. These interruptions, negatively affect the quality of lesson planning and teachers’ work-life balance. The findings suggest the need for improved working conditions to support educators and enhance the learning environment for young children.

The third study shifts to a mixed-methods investigation of Head Start and Early Start Programs on a rural reservation. It explores how culturally meaningful materials and traditions in classrooms relate to Indigenous children’s resilience, and how teachers understand and promote resilience in this cultural context.

Finally, the fourth study presents a qualitative case study of a homeless shelter for families. This research describes staff members’ knowledge of community resources and assesses how these resources, as well as the shelter’s physical environment, impact children’s development in this non-traditional caregiving context.

Together, these studies highlight systemic challenges related to caregiving contexts and offer insights into improving working conditions for providers and enhancing child outcomes, particularly in marginalized populations and in stressful conditions.

Paper #1
Title	Child Welfare Social Workers Working Conditions in Minnesota
Presenting author	Jessica Toft, PhD, MSW, LICW, University of Minnesota School of Social Work, USA

Paper #2
Title	Interruptions and Working Conditions of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Teachers’ Planning Time
Presenting author	Erin E. Hamel, Ph.D., University of Georgia, USA

Paper #3
Title	Indigenous Children’s Resiliency: Culturally Relevant Materials in Early Childhood Classrooms in Relation to Children’s Resiliency
Presenting author	Amy Encinger PhD, University of Wyoming, United States

Paper #4
Title	Shelter as a Caregiving Context: Staff Knowledge, the Shelter Environment, and Children’s Development
Presenting author	Ann Matthews, PhD, LCSW, Nebraska Wesleyan University, United States

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Session chair
Ann Matthews, Ph.D., Nebraska Wesleyan University, United States

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