Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, UC Berkeley

What Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, UC Berkeley does

The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE), founded in 1999 at UC Berkeley, is a nonprofit research and policy organization operating as a program of the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE). It functions as the national leader in early care and education (ECE) workforce research, producing data-driven analyses on early educator compensation, working conditions, racial wage gaps, and policy reform. Its core products include the biennial Early Childhood Workforce Index covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia (with editions in 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2024), the California Early Care and Education Workforce Study, the ECHOES historical archive, the SEQUAL working-conditions survey methodology, the Higher Education Inventory, and a BLS Quarterly Dashboard tracking child care employment data. CSCCE also maintains an Early Educator Database to elevate practitioner voices and Learning Communities to advance compensation reform.

CSCCE's business model is grant-funded rather than commercial. Revenue comes from a diversified base of foundations, including the Heising-Simons Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Blue Shield of California Foundation, Bainum Family Foundation, Alliance for Early Success, and Early Educator Investment Collaborative, alongside government agencies including the California Department of Social Services, California Department of Education, First 5 California, and First 5 Riverside County. All publications, reports, fact sheets, and data tools are distributed at no cost through cscce.berkeley.edu; the organization has no pricing model and sells no products or services. Its audience comprises federal, state, and local policymakers, equity-focused advocacy organizations, early educators themselves, and journalists covering ECE policy. Distribution occurs through the website, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, an email newsletter, and direct engagement with legislators via tailored fact sheets and policy briefs. The organization is headquartered at 2521 Channing Way #5555, Berkeley, CA, and employs approximately 21 staff.

Name

Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, UC Berkeley

Legal name

Center for the Study of Child Care Employment

Website

https://cscce.berkeley.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) is a UC Berkeley research center that conducts national early childhood education workforce research and policy analysis, serving policymakers, advocates, educators, and journalists since 1999.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Government Grants: CSCCE receives funding from foundations (Heising-Simons Foundation, W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Blue Shield of California Foundation, Bainum Family Foundation, Alliance for Early Success) and government agencies (California Department of Social Services, California Department of Education, First 5 California, First 5 Riverside County) to conduct research and publish findings.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) conducts original research on the early care and education (ECE) workforce and produces publications, datasets, and policy recommendations focused on compensation, working conditions, racial and economic equity, and preparation pathways. Its flagship deliverable is the biennial Early Childhood Workforce Index, a comprehensive state-by-state analysis covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia. All outputs are distributed free of charge to policymakers, advocates, educators, and journalists.

Product overview

The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) operates as a research and policy organization rather than a software product company. Its portfolio consists of research publications, data tools, and educational resources focused on early care and education workforce issues. The core offerings include the biennial Early Childhood Workforce Index (with 2024, 2020, 2018, and 2016 editions), the California Early Care and Education Workforce Study, and the ECHOES historical archive. Supporting products include SEQUAL (working conditions survey methodology), the Higher Education Inventory, State Explorer interactive maps, and the BLS Quarterly Dashboard. All products are research publications and data tools rather than commercial software products with technical integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Early Childhood Workforce Index: Comprehensive state-by-state analysis and policy guidance on early care and education workforce conditions, published periodically (2016, 2018, 2020, 2024).
• ECHOES
• SEQUAL
• Higher Education Inventory
• Learning Communities

Products and services

• Early Childhood Workforce Index Flagship biennial publication providing comprehensive state-by-state data, policy guidance, and interactive tools tracking early care and education workforce conditions, compensation, and policy recommendations across the United States. Targeted at policymakers, advocates, and researchers.
• California Early Care and Education Workforce Study Comprehensive statewide study examining early educator demographics, compensation, working conditions, and educational attainment across center-based and home-based settings in California. Conducted in partnership with the California Resource and Referral Network.
• ECHOES (Early Childhood History, Organizing, Ethos, and Strategy Project) Interactive web-based historical archive documenting the development of the early care and education system in the United States, intended for educators, historians, and policy researchers.
• SEQUAL (Survey of Early Educators' Working Conditions) Research methodology and survey instrument designed to assess early educators' work environments, employment conditions, and professional well-being, offered as a service to states and programs.
• Higher Education Inventory Database tracking early childhood higher education programs and preparation pathways across institutions, providing data for researchers and policy analysts.
• Learning Communities Collaborative initiatives connecting stakeholders to share knowledge and advance early care and education compensation reform, including a compensation capacity-building community of practice.
• New Mexico Infant Toddler Pay Parity Evaluation Project Evaluation project examining pay parity outcomes for infant and toddler educators in New Mexico, producing findings to inform state compensation policy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Child care workers earn an average of $13.22/hour nationally, with poverty rates 7.7 times higher than K-8 teachers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UC Berkeley Equity and Excellence in Early Childhood (E3C)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with CSCCE on the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires impact report examining how child care programs were affected by smoke and ash.
• California Resource and Referral NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with CSCCE to conduct the 2019 California Early Care and Education Workforce Study, the first comprehensive statewide survey in over 15 years.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• First 5 Association of California: First 5 Association represents California's First 5 county commissions funding ECE programs and research. Comparable as a California-focused ECE funder and policy intermediary commissioning ECE workforce research, and a direct funder of CSCCE studies.

Direct peers

• Child Trends: Child Trends is a nonprofit research organization producing data and analysis on child well-being, including ECE workforce, early learning, and equity topics. Comparable as a research-driven nonprofit producing ECE-relevant data products for policymakers, with a broader child welfare scope but overlapping methodology and funder base.
• BUILD Initiative: BUILD Initiative supports state ECE system-building through technical assistance, policy analysis, and quality improvement research across multiple states. Comparable as a research-and-policy intermediary working with state agencies and foundations on ECE workforce and quality reform, with overlapping funder relationships (Packard, Heising-Simons).
• National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER): NIEER at Rutgers produces the annual State of Preschool yearbook tracking state-funded preschool enrollment, quality, and workforce data across all 50 states. Directly comparable as a university-based national ECE research center producing recurring, state-by-state data products that inform policy.
• Child Care Aware of America: Child Care Aware of America conducts national research on child care affordability, supply, and workforce conditions, publishing annual price-of-child-care reports and state fact sheets. Directly comparable as a national research and policy organization generating ECE workforce and access data used by policymakers and journalists.

Broad incumbents

• Urban Institute: Urban Institute produces policy research on education, labor, and family economic security, including ECE workforce compensation studies. Comparable as a major nonprofit research organization producing data products on the ECE workforce and equity, with overlapping methodological approach and funder base.
• MDRC: MDRC is a social policy research organization conducting rigorous evaluations of education and workforce programs, including ECE interventions. Comparable as an evidence-based research organization publishing evaluation work that informs state and federal ECE policy, though with a much broader portfolio beyond ECE.
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): NAEYC is the largest professional membership organization for early childhood educators, publishing workforce policy reports and state policy frameworks. Comparable as a national thought leader shaping ECE policy and workforce standards, though broader in scope (accreditation, advocacy, membership) than CSCCE's pure research focus.
• RAND Corporation (Early Childhood Research): RAND produces rigorous research on education, workforce, and family policy, including ECE access, quality, and workforce studies. Comparable as a high-credibility research organization producing state and national ECE workforce analysis, with deeper resources but less ECE-specific specialization than CSCCE.

Emerging players

• Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO): CEELO provides technical assistance to state ECE agencies on quality improvement, including workforce development. Comparable as a center producing research and policy guidance for state ECE systems, though more focused on direct TA delivery than original national research.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CSCCEUCB
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CSCCE
• Facebookfacebook.com/cscceucb
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cscceucb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, UC Berkeley