The Trouble with Turnover

Early childhood educators are often among the first trusted adults a child knows outside of their family.

They may be there for first steps, first words, first friendships, first breakthroughs, and first moments of confidence. In early childhood education, relationships are not a bonus—they are the foundation for learning.

That is why high turnover in child care and early learning programs is such a serious concern.

When educators leave, children do not just lose a teacher. They lose consistency, trust, routine, and a familiar face they have learned to depend on.

Early Childhood Education Has a Turnover Problem

Research shows that turnover is a major challenge across the early childhood workforce. According to the National Institutes of Health, roughly one-third of center-based early childhood educators leave their programs each year. Among new hires, that number rises to 40%.

Research published by Annenberg Brown University found that this rate is nearly double the turnover rate in K–12 education—during some of the most formative years of a child’s life.

That level of turnover matters because young children are learning how to trust, communicate, manage emotions, build relationships, and engage with the world around them. A revolving door of educators makes that harder.

Why Teacher-Child Relationships Matter

Research from the University of Virginia, Ohio State University, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln shows that high-quality teacher-child relationships are connected to stronger outcomes for young learners, including greater gains in academic development, social-emotional growth, executive function, vocabulary skills, math skills, and positive school adjustment. In other words, children do better when they have a strong, trusting relationship with their teacher.

The research also points to something especially important: even in high-quality classrooms, some children may not fully benefit unless they also have a positive relationship with their educator. That means stability matters. When a teacher leaves during the program year, their departure can disrupt more than the daily routine—it is meaningfully associated with negative outcomes in children’s language, literacy, social development, and behavioral self-regulation skills.

For young children, a consistent educator is not just a familiar face. They are part of the foundation that helps children feel safe, connected, and ready to learn.

Turnover Disrupts More Than Staffing

When an early childhood educator leaves, the impact reaches far beyond the schedule.

Children may need to rebuild trust with a new adult. Classroom routines may shift. Families may lose a familiar point of connection. Other staff may carry additional stress while programs work to fill the gap.

For young learners, stability is not just convenient. It is developmental.

A familiar teacher helps children know what to expect. They learn who will comfort them when they are upset, who will guide them through conflict, who will celebrate their progress, and who will help them try again when something feels hard.

That kind of consistency creates the safety children need to grow.

Low Pay Drives High Turnover

So what is pushing so many early childhood educators out of their classrooms?

For many, the answer is simple: money.

Early childhood educators do deeply skilled, emotionally demanding work, yet many are paid wages that make it difficult to stay in the field. Research highlighted by the First Five Years Fund found that centers with lower wages experience much higher turnover.

In centers where the average wage was below $10 per hour, 23.1% of staff left over the course of a year. In centers where the average wage was at or above $25 per hour, turnover averaged just 7.5%.

That tells an important story: when educators are paid more, they are more likely to stay.

And when educators stay, children benefit.

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How WAGE$ Helps Strengthen Classroom Stability

This is why programs like Child Care WAGE$ Tennessee matter.

WAGE$ provides salary supplements to eligible early childhood educators, helping increase financial stability and encouraging educators to remain in the field they love. This support does not only impact educators’ bank accounts—it can also support stronger, more stable classrooms for children.

In fact, 94% of surveyed WAGE$ educators say the program encourages them to stay in the field.

And the impact can be seen in retention outcomes. During the 2025–2026 fiscal year, Child Care WAGE$ Tennessee achieved an 87% retention rate among educators participating in the program. In a field where turnover remains one of the greatest challenges facing programs, families, and young children, that level of retention represents thousands of continued relationships, familiar faces, and more consistent learning environments across Tennessee.

That matters because every educator who stays represents more consistency for children, more trust for families, and more strength for Tennessee’s early childhood workforce.

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Stability Helps Children Thrive

High turnover is not just an employment issue. It is a child development issue.

Young children need steady relationships, predictable routines, and caring adults who know them well. Early childhood educators provide that foundation every day.

When we support educators, we support children.

When we strengthen educator retention, we strengthen classrooms.

And when we invest in the early childhood workforce, we invest in Tennessee’s future.

At Child Care WAGE$ Tennessee, we are proud to support the educators who show up, stay, and make that future possible.

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