Support to stay and thrive: mapping challenges faced by Australia’s early years educators to the national workforce strategy 2022–2031

In response to a workforce crisis, Australia’s early childhood education and care workforce strategy for the next decade, Shaping our Future, was released in September 2021. This strategy was developed through a three-stage, ‘top-down’ process in which open consultation on pre-defined strategies was the final stage. Analysing data from the voices of those working at the frontline ( N = 794), we take a complementary ‘bottom-up’ approach, mapping accounts of workforce challenges to Shaping our Future ’s six focus areas. We identify areas of salience and silence. Recognition, Leadership and Capability, and Wellbeing were salient focus areas while Attraction (and Retention), Qualifications and Career Pathways, and Data and Evidence were not. “Paperwork” and “challenging behaviours” were identified as major impediments to workplace wellbeing and educational effectiveness. Missing strategies identified were review of regulatory burden and redress of place-based inequities for those working with children and families who experience complex and challenging life circumstances.