National Head Start Association Partners with First-Ever Early Childhood Education Career Platform to Boost Hiring

New partnership with EarlyDay gives Head Start locations access to a recruiting and hiring platform designed for early childhood workforce to tackle staffing challenges

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Head Start Association (NHSA), the leading advocate and resource for Head Start programs across the country, today announced the selection of EarlyDay, the only dedicated career marketplace built exclusively for early childhood educators, as their nationwide preferred hiring partner. More than 1,600 Head Start locations now have a preferred partnership with EarlyDay to help streamline hiring and tackle persistent childcare staffing shortages across the country.

"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 the National Head Start Association. "This partnership directly responds to what programs are telling us they need most: faster access to qualified educators, reduced administrative burden in hiring, and stronger pathways to recruit and retain talent. Because EarlyDay is built specifically for the early childhood workforce, program administrators can spend less time sourcing and vetting staff, and focus their time and resources where they matter most—on children and families."

EarlyDay, a Wonderschool solution, is the largest dedicated marketplace for early childhood education talent with over 130K teacher profiles nationwide. Through this new partnership, Head Start centers will have access to pre-screened, qualified early childhood educator candidates, enabling them to hire more quickly and meet community needs.

The partnership will also give all educators on EarlyDay's marketplace access to NHSA's Child Development Associate (CDA/CPA) certification training, strengthening credentials and career mobility across the early childhood educator workforce.

More than 800,000 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers attended Head Start programs in 2022. Last year, a survey of programs conducted by NHSA found that staff vacancies was a top reason for classroom closures. When centers cannot fully staff classrooms, they must reduce enrollment, shorten hours, or temporarily close rooms—directly affecting families' ability to access reliable, quality child care.

"Head Start programs play a critical role in communities, yet too many are constrained by staffing shortages and limited access to workforce development resources," said Emma Harris, co-founder of EarlyDay and vice president at Wonderschool. "Through this partnership, we're not only helping programs connect with qualified educators faster—we're also expanding professional opportunities for early childhood professionals."

Head Start location directors can now access EarlyDay by visiting https://www.earlyday.com/centers or by contacting Emma Harris at [email protected]. To learn more about EarlyDay, visit https://www.earlyday.com/

About EarlyDay
EarlyDay is the only dedicated career marketplace for early childhood educators. We bring employers and jobseekers together–making the hiring and job search process faster and easier. EarlyDay operates across the US and works with childcare centers small and large. EarlyDay was acquired by Wonderschool in 2024.

About National Head Start Association®
The National Head Start Association is committed to the belief that every child, regardless of circumstances at birth, has the ability to succeed in school and in life. The opportunities offered by Head Start lead to healthier, empowered children and families, and stronger, more vibrant communities. NHSA is the voice for more than nearly 750,000 children and their families, 270,000 staff and 1,600 Head Start grant recipients in the United States. Visit nhsa.org for more information.

SOURCE Wonderschool