When it comes to education, few would dispute that youngsters who have access to high-quality child care and early learning opportunities have a better chance at lifelong success. 

Now, two research reports show that unions are playing a big role in helping child care providers bring the highest level of care to the children and families they serve. Another study calls for more effective public investment in early childhood education.

As reported by American Rights at Work, a Rutgers University research team found that “family, friend and neighbor” (FFN) providers and registered family child care providers in New Jersey are gaining crucial training opportunities and access to information about regulations, benefits and services from AFSCME Local 2779.

"The union is key to helping us get training, improve our skills, learn teaching methods and improve the quality of child care,” said Migdalia Diaz, a child care provider in Middlesex, New Jersey.

An earlier report by the Economic Opportunity Institute analyzed the impact of training introduced by SEIU Local 925 on skills, opportunities and satisfaction for FFN providers in Washington State. On a 10-point scale, most providers rated themselves between six and eight prior to training and reported they increased to level nine or 10 after training.

Providers reported that the union’s training improved their everyday interactions with children and increased their awareness of health and
safety, nutrition and other issues. The training also increased professional connections and job satisfaction among providers.

In addition, the Center for American Progress issued a report last week calling for better effectiveness and efficiency in the investments we as a society are making in early childhood education. According to the report:

Not only must we expand access to early learning, we must also improve the quality of the current system in order to vastly improve the overall impact of our national investment in early education.