This project seeks to understand COVID-19’s impact on Head Start employment stability, the determinants of staff retention, and the policies that contributed to strong staff retention during the public health crisis. Leveraging a decade of administrative panel data, the study examines Head Start staff turnover rates pre- and post-COVID-19. The research addresses key concerns for Head Start leaders and grantees, including retaining high-quality staff, staff wellbeing, and COVID-19’s broader workforce and community impact.
The findings will identify the percentage of staff departures directly attributable to COVID-19 and use qualitative, open-ended administrative data to distinguish between COVID-related reasons for departure (e.g., fear, illness, childcare) and pre-pandemic drivers of turnover (e.g., compensation, workplace culture). Additionally, the research will identify disparities in staff turnover by program characteristics and service delivery models. Notably, this study will include often-overlooked data from American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) Head Start Programs as well as Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Programs.