💔 Mental Health in ECE - What The #s Say

Today’s Issue: Seeking Lost Treasure; Mental Health Comps; FAQ for Accelerator; ECE in the News = 1.5 cup of coffee.

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⚓️ Sunken Treasure?!: The Nossa Senhora de Cabo, was a Portuguese vessel taken by pirates in 1721 while sailing from Goa to Lisbon. All the legends and stories of adventure and treasure may actually be true. 🏴‍☠️ Well, it looks like it may have been found off the coast of Madagascar. Researchers in Massachusetts have been studying the wreckage for 16 years, and now think it’s this famous vessel, which once carried precious cargo worth ~$138M! All my childhood fantasies of being Indiana Jones might still come TRUE!

😰 Mental Health in ECE: Cross-Industry Perspective

Working in ECE is deeply meaningful, but it’s also tough. Mental health struggles in our field are serious. Research shows that 25%–40% of ECE workers experience clinical depression. That’s 2x-4x times higher than the general workforce!

Anxiety is just as common, with about half of providers reporting moderate-to-high anxiety levels.💔 It’s a crisis we don’t talk about enough in a profession responsible for nurturing young children.

How ECE Stacks Up 📊

To get a sense of how serious this is, here’s how ECE compares to other industries:

Turnover: A Symptom of the Problem 🔄

Poor mental health directly fuels high turnover. Nationally, about a third of ECE programs report turnover rates above 20% — numbers that got worse during COVID. In Early Head Start programs, turnover jumped from 19% in 2019 to 29% by 2022. 😳

What Actually Helps (Spoiler: It’s Not Pizza Fridays 🍕)

To support staff and reduce turnover, ECE programs need to go beyond good intentions. Here’s what makes a real difference:

• Mental Health Support: Access to counseling, peer support groups, and consultants familiar with ECE.

• Better Pay & Benefits: Higher wages and industry standard benefits lead to lower turnover and better mental health outcomes. Every study says so.

• Culture of Wellness: Mindfulness activities, check-ins, and a work environment where it’s okay to not be okay.

The takeaway? Supporting ECE staff isn’t just about being nice (though we love nice ✨). It’s about ensuring consistent, high-quality care for children. Luckily, there are coaches out there that can help.

🔄 Childcare Turnaround Accelerator - FAQ

We received a few questions on the Turnaround Childcare Business Accelerator we highlighted last week. So we broke it down for you so you can quickly assess if it’s right for you.

What Do You Get? The Answer is A LOT!

• How long does the course take? It’s a 3-month intensive program designed to help childcare center leaders drive real operational change.

• How does it start? It kicks off with a live, immersive event, followed by live coaching and step-by-step tools.

• Do I get personalized attention? YES! You are personally supported through the entire course framework. You’re never left by yourself.

• What Does the course cover over the 3-months?

  1. Phase 1 - Diagnose & Assess: Uncover issues through surveys, financial reviews, observations and system audits.

  2. Phase 2 - Strategy Development: Set 90-day goals using a 5-pillar framework.

  3. Phase 3 - Implementation Sprint: Execute new routines, SOPs, and leadership structures; track KPIs and coach teams through changes.

  4. Phase 4 - Monitor & Adjust: Build a culture of continuous improvement and long-term planning.

👉 ✨👉 ✨BONUS TOOLS! Participants also get access to weekly Hot Seat coaching calls, a private peer community, and on-demand training modules.

‼️‼️Don’t forget, the Ecential was able to get you a 5% discounted rate. If interested, follow the steps:

1. 👉👉👉 Click this link: Accelerator

2. Click the “Enroll Now” button.

3. Fill out your details.

4. Copy/Paste this code for your exclusive 5% off!: CTVIPMEMBER

ECE In The News

🪑 Keeping a Seat Open for a Child Need: At the Family Enrichment Center in Bowling Green, KY, which was established in 1977, they have been keeping a seat open for a child in need ever since. The site opened with the goal of addressing child abuse, and the staff immediately set aside an open — free — seat for a child in need. Despite tumultuous challenges facing the child care industry, that seat stays open thanks to grant funding. Talk about living your values! 😇

🧀 Wisconsin’s “Kid First” Budget: Looks like Governor Evers of Wisconsin signed a bipartisan bill that saw increases to education and ECE across the state. Nearly $1.4B was added to spendable revenue for K-12 schools, with the largest increase to the special education reimbursement rate in state history. Also, over $360M was dedicated to support Wisconsin’s child care industry. 🙌🏻

The Internet is a Playground:

🗓️ On this Day in History: In the 2012, Korean rapper Psy’s awesome performance of his hit song "Gangam Style," featuring his "invisible horse" dance, debuts on YouTube. By December it becomes the first music video to top 1 billion views. 🐴

🧩 Game Time: Classic Hangman, with definitions of everyday and obscure words.

🔬Want to Join a Research Team?: If you want to join a fun project, you might be able to do so now easier with this group.

🐈 Striking a Pose?: This kitty knows he’s handsome.

YOUR VOICE COUNTS

Is there a topic you want more info on or want to share a funny story? Then let us know! Shoot us a quick email at [email protected]. This newsletter is for you, and well, you should have a say, don't’ you think?

📚 Sources

1. PMC: Mental Health Among Early Educators

2. K12 Dive: Childcare Workforce Anxiety & Depression

3. PMC: Workplace Depression Rates

4. Advisory: Worker Depression Data

5. Workforce.com: Burnout Stats

6. Deloitte: Burnout Survey

7. Open Seat

8. WI Kid First Budget