The Early Childhood Workforce in Times of COVID-19 – Are they adequately supported?

Perhaps now, more than ever, the pivotal role that early childhood services and their workforce have in society is increasingly acknowledged. Closing most of the early childhood services and moving them from the in-person interaction to support from a distance, has been an enormous shift with many consequences for children, families, and also services. Some services remained open so that they can continue to provide support to children and families. In other countries, there are currently discussions about re-opening.

The early childhood workforce has been at the very core of this challenging situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a great deal of pressure, responsibility, and anxiety surrounding the early childhood workforce, at a time when young children and parents need them more than ever. In this webinar we will learn from the experience of Brazil, Norway, and South Africa as we explore the following questions:

- What measures have been taken to protect and support the early childhood workforce who operated from distance or worked in services that remained open during this crisis?

- What plans are in place for the re-opening of childcare and education services? To what extent do they provide protection and support to the workforce? 

Panelists:

• Sissel Havre (Norway) - Senior Advisor, Education and Research, Union of Education
• Grace Matlhape (South Africa) - Chief Executive Officer, Smart Start 

Co-moderators:

• Joan Lombardi  - Director, Early Opportunities
• Mihaela Ionescu - Program Director, ISSA - the International Step by Step Association

For registration, click here.