Blog - Child Care Aware of America

Workforce well-being is systems work—CCR&Rs are leading the way

Written by Amanda Green | May 16, 2025

Across the early care and education (ECE) landscape, there is growing momentum to support the adults who care for children—not only in moments of crisis, but as a core strategy for building resilient systems. When we invest in workforce well-being, we reinforce the very conditions that allow children to thrive. 

Why workforce well-being matters 

Workforce well-being reflects the lived experiences of early educators who face long hours, emotional labor, and economic stress. A national study from the Yale CARES team found that nearly half of child care workers screened positive for major depression—a striking figure that points to the need for system-wide solutions. 

This isn’t just a wellness issue. It’s a workforce sustainability issue. When educators are supported, they stay longer, engage more deeply, and create stable, enriching environments for children and families. 

Learning from across the field 

Across education settings, innovative efforts are showing what’s possible. Kaiser Permanente’s wellness space pilot with RMC Health offered a low-cost, high-impact model for reducing staff stress through intentional space. The message wasn’t about aesthetics, it was about making well-being visible. 

The same principles apply to child care. While the tools may differ, the goal is shared: to support the workforce that powers early learning. And Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) organizations are stepping forward as leaders in this effort. 

CCR&Rs and mental health consultation: Leadership in action 

In many states, CCR&Rs are not just participating in system reforms, they’re driving them. Consider these models: 

  • Ohio: CCR&Rs partner with the Department of Children and Youth to embed Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) consultants directly into local systems of support, providing prevention and intervention services. 
  • Washington: CCR&Rs are core partners in statewide Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC), helping to ensure child care workers receive culturally responsive support. 
  • North Carolina: Through the Healthy Social Behaviors (HSB) Project, CCR&Rs provide technical assistance to centers in all 100 counties, supporting teacher confidence and emotional responsiveness in classroom management. 

These examples demonstrate the power of CCR&Rs when they are resourced, trusted, and positioned as systems leaders—not only in quality improvement, but in mental health and workforce sustainability. 

Everyday practices that matter 

Workforce well-being doesn’t emerge by accident. It is cultivated through relationships, practices, and policies that affirm the dignity of care. CCR&Rs are already leading by example: 

  • Creating safe, welcoming environments for reflection and connection 
  • Recognizing the emotional complexity of caregiving as integral to professional excellence 
  • Designing supports and systems that help educators feel seen, respected, and resourced 

Five strategic practices to embed well-being 

  • Culture check-ins: What rhythms and routines support psychological safety? 
  • Technical assistance with humanity: Do your technical assistance conversations create space for emotional validation? 
  • Recognize resilience: How do you elevate child care workers’ adaptive skills and persistence? 
  • Design for dignity: Are your policies, materials, and meeting spaces communicating respect? 
  • Partner with intention: What community and funder partnerships can expand your reach and impact? 

Questions for CCR&R teams to explore 

  • How are we centering well-being—mentally, emotionally, and culturally—in our own teams and the child care workers we serve? 
  • What assumptions are we making about support, and what voices are missing from the conversation? 
  • How can we better align our day-to-day practices with our values? 
  • Who are our natural allies in advancing this work—and what do they need to say yes? 

Connecting the dots 

This blog post isn’t a call to start something new. It’s a call to recognize, refine, and elevate what CCR&Rs already do: care deeply, lead quietly, and hold systems together. 

Workforce well-being is systems work. And CCR&Rs are uniquely positioned to champion it in policy conversations, provider support, and their own organizational cultures. 

As national, state, and philanthropic leaders invest in mental health and resilience, the opportunity is clear: fund what’s already working, and scale what’s already trusted. CCR&Rs are not the best-kept secret, they are one of the field’s most powerful assets. 

Resources to support your work 

 
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