The National Head Start Association (NHSA) has named EarlyDay, the only career marketplace dedicated exclusively to early childhood educators, as its nationwide preferred hiring partner. The move aims to address persistent staffing shortages at over 1,600 Head Start locations, helping programs hire faster, reduce administrative burdens, and keep classrooms open for families.
“Head Start programs across the country continue to face challenges in hiring qualified early childhood educators in a competitive job market,” said Dr. Deborah Bergeron, Deputy Director, Community Engagement Innovation at NHSA. “This partnership responds directly to what programs need most: faster access to qualified educators, reduced administrative burden, and stronger pathways to recruit and retain talent.”
EarlyDay: A Marketplace Built for Early Childhood Talent
EarlyDay, part of Wonderschool, operates the largest dedicated marketplace for early childhood educators, boasting over 130,000 teacher profiles nationwide. Through the NHSA partnership, Head Start centers can now access pre-screened, qualified candidates, speeding up the hiring process and helping centers maintain classroom operations.
For educators, the partnership opens doors to NHSA’s Child Development Associate (CDA/CPA) certification training, enhancing professional credentials and career mobility across the early childhood workforce.
“Through this partnership, we’re not only helping programs connect with qualified educators faster—we’re also expanding professional opportunities for early childhood professionals,” said Emma Harris, co-founder of EarlyDay and VP at Wonderschool.
Staffing Shortages Impact Families
The need for qualified staff is urgent: more than 800,000 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers attended Head Start programs in 2022, yet many programs struggle to fully staff classrooms. NHSA surveys found vacancies are a leading cause of classroom closures, forcing centers to reduce enrollment, shorten hours, or temporarily shut rooms—directly affecting families’ access to quality care.
By providing a streamlined platform tailored for early childhood education hiring, EarlyDay could become a critical tool in the broader fight against the nationwide childcare staffing crisis, helping programs focus on children and families rather than endless hiring cycles.
As the early childhood sector faces growing competition from private daycare centers and evolving workforce expectations, NHSA’s partnership with EarlyDay highlights a tech-driven approach to tackling workforce challenges in an essential but often underserved industry.
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