WILLIAMSBURG — The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation has expanded its Early Educator Fast Track initiative to address a childcare shortage impacting parents and employers in Williamsburg and the region.
According to the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), a recent workforce survey in Virginia found that almost half of early care and education directors find recruitment and retention of teachers very difficult, with more than 50% turning families away because they are unable to staff classrooms and serve as many children as usual.
The Early Educator Fast Track Initiative seeks to increase childcare capacity by addressing staffing shortages so more families are able to access this workforce support.
“Early educators are the workforce that supports all other workforces. They help children, families, and communities to thrive,” said Kathy Glazer, president of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation. “We’re experiencing a critical teacher shortage and the need has never been greater for early childhood educators. We encourage residents of Hampton, Newport News, Warsaw and Williamsburg, or those who live within a commuting distance of these areas, to apply for the training program and benefit from a meaningful career.”
The Early Educator Fast Track Initiative is a solution that addresses new assistant teacher recruitment, compensation, training, retention, and ongoing professional development, VCEF said.
VCEF notes the program has helped train and place dozens of individuals into assistant teacher roles in early child care and education programs around Virginia, helping to reopen closed classrooms, expand classrooms, and serve more children and families.
To be eligible for the program, applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent, English proficiency, pass required background checks and be eligible for employment in the United States. Applicants may have experience or be brand-new to early childhood education, but those already employed at a childcare site are not eligible.
An interest form for applicants can be found here. For more information on VECF, visit vecf.org.