The knowledge, skills, and attitudes that early early care and education (ECE) professionals bring to their settings affect the quality of care that children and families receive. Professional development— that is, opportunities for ECE providers to strengthen and expand their skills—is one of the primary strategies used outside of formal educational systems to strengthen the quality of care in ECE settings. However, the infrastructure to support professional development for ECE providers across the settings and sectors in which they work is often fragmented, siloed, and uncoordinated.

Professional development efforts generally focus on center-based ECE staff and do not account for the unique circumstances of home-based child care (HBCC) providers. Unlike center-based workers, HBCC providers are often responsible for both caring for children and running a business. They tend to work alone, in smaller settings, during longer and nontraditional hours, and with mixed-age groups. These characteristics are attractive to families that report choosing HBCC because it offers a home-like environment and lower numbers of children, geographic convenience, flexible hours and payment, lower cost, and the ability to have siblings cared for together.