Professional Registries

An ECE Professional Registry is a Professional Development System’s backbone infrastructure and Early Childhood and Out-Of-School-Time workforce hub. It serves as a bi-directional information network reaching more than 1.8 million members of the workforce, through which Registries perform dozens of functions that provide:

1. A trusted entry point and consistent, professional home for Early Childhood workforce members across the span of their career
2. Placement of individuals on the state’s career pathway/ladder or lattice continuum that is informed by verified education, employment, and training
3. Collection of comprehensive data about early childhood practitioners in a variety of roles, across settings, which can be disaggregated for equity and policy reporting (race/languages/ethnicity/zip code/etc.)
4.  Central, longitudinal data repository tracking verified employment, training, and education
5. Pathway recognizing and honoring professional experience, competencies, and achievements
6. Tools illuminating the pathway for approved/recognized professional growth and development
7. Quality framework recognizing and approving professional development and qualifications, based on the states state career level/licensing system
8. Elevated workforce representation, perspectives, and data to equip policymakers and partners to make data-informed decisions and investments, set priorities, and track impact/ accountability.

Professional Registries contribute critical infrastructure for Career Pathway implementation, supporting both the workforce and Professional Development Systems. By addressing five core areas of workforce development, registries provide unparalleled workforce access, connections to support, and data. The data lifecycle registries make possible is first established through the functions and support they provide to states and workforce members. Bi-Directional information exchange is a critical element provided by trusted registries. Beyond providing a service to the industry as an Emergency Broadcast System, registries work to make workforce members aware of the professional opportunities for development and support that are available to them.

As a by-product of the more than two dozen functions registries perform, they are able to collect, track and report data about the workforce. This data is part the critical infrastructure registries provide to inform state policy makers, advocacy groups, and researchers. Registries use the data they have to create workforce reports, track progress and near-real time workforce needs. They can also partner with those seeking summary data to help examine and evaluate data elements for to inform future questions or policy analyses. This data can be leveraged to inform policy makers, funders, and advocates about what the workforce is most in need of, who to prioritize, and where to direct targeted support. One of the essential outcomes of this longitudinal data is that it also provides existing infrastructure to support data dashboards, profiles for progress, and accountability indicators.

As Professional Registries conduct Training and Trainer approval in most states (75% and 80%, respectively), they are committed to ensuring access to quality training and trainers. In 3 out of 4 registries, they review and verify professional records to place workforce members on career ladders or lattices. They also provide Training Calendars, manage registration, verify attendance, and produce Training Transcripts or Professional Learning Records to support credential applications. In many states they also provide employment verification and manage stipends, eligibility, and direct payment to workforce members.

Professional Registries are unique in that they are the primary interface with the largest consortium of Childcare and Out-of-school-time Workforce members in the industry (cutting across setting and role). Collectively they reach over 1.8 million people impacting the lives of children. In collaboration with their employers, registry staff work with field professionals to track, verify, and report their essential information. This process helps to surface workforce priorities, gaps in services, and inform equity efforts. In return, targeted support, reflecting the actual needs of the community they represent, are leveraged to strengthen improved access to services, announce new opportunities, and illuminate support for the professionals, in turn increasing the quality of experiences for children and families in their care.

*This example provides one state’s registry functions, source The ASPIRE Registry in New York. Each state has a similar menu of services they provide to the workforce, childcare licensing, quality improvement initiatives, and state professional development system.

Registry Infrastructure – An Interconnected Network

Registry Data Entry & Verification