What Real Shift Data Tells Us About the Child Care Workforce

When we talk about the child care workforce, the conversation often relies on anecdotes, assumptions, or outdated narratives.

But there is another source of truth that is often overlooked.

The work itself and the educators that make up the workforce.

Every shift worked represents an educator making a decision to show up. To accept an assignment. To enter a classroom. To support children and families for the day. When you look at thousands of those decisions together, patterns start to emerge.

In 2025, nearly 2,500 educators participated in Tandem’s workforce, completing shifts across licensed child care programs in Ohio, Florida, Illinois, and North Carolina. By looking at real shift data from that work, we can better understand how the workforce actually functions today.

The Workforce Is Active and Showing Up

One of the clearest signals from real shift data is that educators are willing and ready to work when the conditions allow for it.

Across markets, educators consistently:

• Accept shifts when schedules align with their availability
• Return to programs where the experience is positive
• Work repeatedly when expectations and pay are clear

This challenges the idea that staffing shortages are simply about a lack of educators. In many cases, the workforce exists. Access and conditions determine participation.

Pay Plays a Meaningful Role in Participation

Across the four states where Tandem operates, the average pay rate in 2025 was $15 per hour.

While pay alone does not solve workforce challenges, real shift data shows it plays an important role in whether educators can consistently say yes to work.

Predictable, competitive pay supports:

• Faster shift acceptance
• More consistent participation
• Greater ability for educators to rely on child care work as income

For many educators, child care is not supplemental work. It is a primary source of income. When pay is transparent and reliable, educators are better positioned to stay engaged in the field.

Consistency Builds Reliability for Everyone

Shift data also shows a strong relationship between positive experiences and repeat work.

Educators are more likely to return to programs where they feel prepared, supported, and respected. Over time, this leads to:

• Repeat bookings
• Stronger educator-program relationships
• Greater classroom continuity for children

From a data perspective, consistency benefits everyone involved. Educators gain confidence and familiarity. Programs gain reliable support. Children experience more stable care.

Administrative Friction Limits Workforce Supply

Another insight that becomes clear through platform data is how administrative barriers limit participation.

Delays in onboarding, fragmented compliance requirements, and repeated documentation slow down activation and reduce the number of shifts educators are able to work.

When administrative systems are streamlined:

• Educators activate faster
• Educators work more often
• Programs gain access to a larger pool of available support

The workforce does not disappear when barriers exist. It simply becomes harder to access.

What the Data Makes Clear

Looking at real shifts worked by nearly 2,500 educators in 2025 reinforces several important truths:

• Educators want to work, but conditions determine whether they can
• Pay, flexibility, and reduced friction directly influence participation
• Positive in-center experiences drive repeat engagement
• Systems matter just as much as intent

This platform data provides the foundation for the educator insights explored in the full Workforce Report. Together, real work data and educator voice tell a more complete story about what it takes to build a stable child care workforce.

Read the Full 2025 Workforce Report

The 2025 Workforce Report combines:

• Real shift data from educators working in the field
• Direct survey insights from child care educators
• Practical findings for programs, partners, and educators

👉 Read the full Workforce Report

🧸 Crib Notes

• Nearly 2,500 educators participated in Tandem’s workforce in 2025
• Average pay across four states was $15 per hour
• Educators participate when pay, flexibility, and conditions align
• Repeat work is driven by positive in-center experiences
• Administrative systems directly impact workforce access