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Exploring the Lived Experiences of Parent-Educators in Pursuit of Stability and Growth in the Early Education Workforce
Britney N. Patrick ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This qualitative study interviewed 22 early childhood educators who are also parents. It looked at how parenting responsibilities affect their use of workforce development programs and their career paths. Participants described workforce development as a route to career advancement and professional affirmation, and linked economic stability to their family's well-being. The authors suggest that workforce systems, employers and pay initiatives should take the realities of working parent-educators into account. The focus is on the adult workforce, not on outcomes for children.
Key points
- Twenty-two early childhood educators who are parents took part in virtual semi-structured interviews of about 60 to 90 minutes.
- Narrative analysis produced eight themes organised around two research questions.
- Workforce development was both a pathway to career advancement and a source of professional affirmation.
- Organizational and leadership support shaped participants' professional experiences.
- Parenthood reshaped professional perspectives, created competing demands and influenced participation in workforce development.
Limitations
The document is an abstract of a small qualitative study and does not measure outcomes for children or evaluate an intervention. Its findings reflect the experiences of 22 participants and cannot show how educator support affects children's well-being.
Abstract
Early childhood educators who are also parents represent an important yet understudied population within workforce development research. This qualitative narrative inquiry explored the lived experiences of early childhood educators who are also parents as they navigated workforce development programs, parenting responsibilities, and organizational practices in pursuit of career advancement and economic stability. Guided by work-family border theory (Clark, 2000) and ecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), the study examined how parenting responsibilities shaped engagement in workforce development opportunities and influenced professional trajectories over time. Twenty-two early childhood educators who were also parents participated in virtual semi-structured interviews lasting approximately 60 to 90 minutes. Narrative data were analyzed using Polkinghorne’s (1995) narrative analysis framework, resulting in eight emergent themes organized around two research questions. Findings revealed that workforce development served as both a pathway to career advancement and a source of professional affirmation, while organizational and leadership support played a significant role in shaping participants’ professional experiences. Participants demonstrated persistence and adaptability in pursuing professional growth and described economic stability as closely connected to family well-being. Parenthood was found to reshape professional perspectives, create competing demands, and influence participation in workforce development opportunities. Support systems, boundary setting, and redefining success emerged as important factors in sustaining professional engagement. Findings suggest that workforce development systems, organizational practices, and compensation initiatives should more intentionally address the realities of working parent-educators to better support career advancement, economic stability, and long-term workforce retention within early childhood education.