'My cup was empty': the impact of COVID-19 on early childhood educator well-being

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in Australia have been essential to enable parental workforce participation. Australia’s swift and effective management of the pandemic has been held in high regard around the world. However, what toll has the pandemic taken on educators? The aims of this study were to outline the governmental and organisational responses to the pandemic in relation to the ECEC sector and to understand the impacts of the pandemic on educators’ well-being. A survey approach using closed and open-ended responses was used to address these goals. Participants included 831 directors and educators at a range of ECEC service types across Australia. Responses to survey questions were summarised descriptively and used to give an overview of the ECEC sector in relation to the pandemic. Guided by a phenomenological framework, thematic analysis was used to interpret the open-ended responses. Findings from closed questions revealed that, while most ECEC services surveyed remained open during the pandemic, educators received little training or preparation for their dramatically altered working conditions. Findings from open-ended responses showed that educators’ mental health and emotional and financial well-being were negatively impacted by the pandemic. However, some positive coping strategies were identified by the respondents. Implications for supporting the ECEC workforce through future critical incidents and protecting educators’ well-being are discussed, along with suggestions for ways the sector could become better prepared for future crises.