Recruit where teachers are being trained, not just on job boards: community colleges, apprenticeships, high school programs and bilingual communities. Keep them with steady schedules, protected planning time, real behavior help, coaching and a clear path up, and use every state program that pays for school, loans and child care.

By our editors · Facts checked October 7, 2026

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Disclosure: Treehouse Learning Center, which runs childcare and therapy programs in Massachusetts, publishes KidBrief. Our directory lists every licensed program, and we always label ours. Some links may be affiliate links: if you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How we make money.

The short version

A teacher sits on the floor and holds up a worksheet for a group of young children
Photo: AMONWAT DUMKRUT / Unsplash

Why is it so hard to staff up?

NAEYC (the National Association for the Education of Young Children) surveyed more than 10,000 early educators in January 2025. Among program administrators, 55% were enrolled below their preferred capacity.

Why? 37% said pay is too low to recruit and keep qualified staff, and 36% said they simply didn’t have enough staff.

Among educators thinking of leaving, higher wages (60%), more help with behavior (30%) and more respect (20%) topped the list of what would keep them. Pay matters most. The next two are on you, and they’re cheaper.

Where to find candidates

Community colleges

EEC, the Department of Early Education and Care, funds Early Childhood Career Pathways programs at all 15 community colleges. Current educators, and people who plan to work in a program within 6 months of registering, get coursework, textbooks, tutoring and mentoring at no cost. Classes start in September, January and May.

Several colleges, including North Shore, Northern Essex, Bunker Hill and MassBay, teach in Spanish; Cape Cod and MassBay offer Portuguese. Call the Career Pathways coordinator, offer your classrooms for field hours, and ask to meet students who are job hunting.

Apprenticeships

In September 2024, the state funded pilot partnerships to build registered apprenticeships in early education, including a center-based program run by The Community Group in Lawrence. Three family child care partners aim to graduate 250 new family child care educators by 2026. Ask whether your program can host an apprentice: you hire, they earn while they learn.

High school pathways

Graduates of state-approved Chapter 74 high school early education programs can qualify at EEC’s Teacher level with two years of child development coursework and more than 150 hours in a licensed classroom. Host those hours and you meet candidates before graduation.

High schoolers can also start a CDA, and the Council’s guidance lets their work or volunteer hours count when the age group matches.

Bilingual candidates and people already in your building

Educators who speak your families’ languages build trust fast. Post openings in those languages, share them through community and faith groups, and point candidates to college courses in their language. For candidates trained abroad, EEC offers an international qualifications review.

Your assistants, substitutes and parent volunteers already know the job. Ask each one about their goals and offer a route to certification.

Grow your own lead teachers

Retention moves that aren’t a raise

  • Steady schedules. Post them weeks ahead, keep shifts consistent and limit last-minute room changes.
  • Protected planning time. Cover it with a float, and don’t claw it back when you’re short.
  • Real behavior help. EEC’s Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation grant gives any licensed program access to consultants. Call before a teacher hits the wall.
  • Coaching. Short, regular observation and feedback beats a once-a-year review. EEC points leaders to reflective supervision training from the Massachusetts Association for Infant Mental Health.
  • Respect. Name good work in front of families, include teachers in decisions and ask before changing their routines.

Many of these overlap with what keeps teachers from burning out. And when you can move pay, our guide to how early childhood teachers earn more shows what staff are comparing you against.

State money that helps you keep staff

For children who need extra support

Children with developmental differences do best with stable, well-supported adults. Pair new hires with a mentor before they lead a room that includes a child who needs extra support.

Train staff in positive behavior support and in working alongside Early Intervention providers and public school special educators. Use mental health consultants to plan supports, and budget float time so one child’s needs never pull a room below ratio. More in our inclusive care section.

Common questions

What’s the fastest way to find qualified teachers in Massachusetts?

Build ties with community college Career Pathways coordinators and high school vocational programs that place students for classroom hours. Hire promising students as assistants and back them toward certification. These pipelines take months, so start before you have an opening.

Can high school graduates work as teachers in Massachusetts child care?

Yes, if they finished a state-approved Chapter 74 early education program with two years of child development coursework and more than 150 hours in a licensed classroom. That qualifies them at EEC’s Teacher level.

Does the state pay for early educators’ college classes?

Yes. Career Pathways covers coursework, books and supports at no cost to eligible educators, and the Early Childhood Educators Scholarship helps pay for approved certificates and degrees.

What keeps teachers besides pay?

In NAEYC’s 2025 survey, more help with behavior and more respect were the top answers after wages. Steady schedules, protected planning time, coaching and a clear career ladder help too.

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