The Times Australia
The Times World News

.

Early childhood educators feel burnt out and undervalued. Here's what we can do to help

  • Written by Penny Levickis, Senior Research Fellow, REEaCh (Research in Effective Education in Early Childhood) Hub, The University of Melbourne
Early childhood educators feel burnt out and undervalued. Here's what we can do to help

Australian early childhood educators feel burnt out and undervalued. Our research[1] reports on more than 200 educators’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed existing strains on the system and further eroded their well-being.

However, educators also identified three important ways their well-being can be restored. As one educator told us:

“You cannot pour from an empty cup. Our well-being needs to be supported so we can do the best job possible.”

The pandemic has brought into sharp focus the challenging working conditions[2] the profession faces. Educators have to navigate emotionally complex work. They work long hours, with poor pay[3] and a lack of status or public recognition. Their opportunities for professional development or career progression are limited.

As a result, levels of work-related stress and burnout are high. Many are choosing to leave the sector[4].

Read more: Early childhood educators are leaving in droves. Here are 3 ways to keep them, and attract more[5]

Well-being is essential for educators to do their job well. Their well-being affects the well-being, learning and development of children across the country. A stable, qualified and healthy workforce [6] is essential for families, communities and societies.

In our research[7], more than 85% of educators reported the pandemic had negative impacts on their well-being. However, three key findings detail how well-being can be supported. Educators talked about the importance of:

  1. self-care

  2. relationships with children, families and colleagues (and in educators’ personal lives)

  3. recognition for their essential work.

Self-care has to be a priority

Educators spoke about a renewed focus on self-care to support their own well-being.

“We’ve all finally realised that taking the dog for a walk has huge merits and having some meditation and doing some mindfulness and having our weekly yoga sessions are all actually working.”

Self-care involved more than exercise and meditation. Creativity was also a support for well-being, including activities such as baking, clay-making and knitting. Educators took proactive steps for their health, to strengthen their own well-being.

Service supports also matter. Counselling and professional development services were helpful. Educators made use of (mostly online) professional services such as Beyond Blue[8] and the Employee Assistance Program[9]. Some services provided additional resources to support mental health.

“The psychologist was extremely powerful and she’s given a few presentations of how to look after ourselves.”

Read more: Early childhood educators are slaves to the demands of box-ticking regulations[10]

Supportive relationships lighten the load

Personal and professional relationships are key to educators’ well-being. Supportive professional relationships provided solidarity and shared understanding. The value of being able to unload, debrief or talk with others at work increased throughout lockdowns.

“That sense of belonging to a team and all the educators really caring very strongly for each other.”

Despite reporting that the pandemic had a negative impact on their well-being, educators reported strong relationships with the children[11] they work with. Teaching and engaging with children is central to educators’ well-being. Connection to other aspects of children’s lives is also important:

“COVID has taught us that it’s the relationships we have with parents, with families, with everybody in our community that’s the most important thing.”

Recognise their essential work

Educators in our research rated their sense of contribution high. Workforce studies[12] reflect this, showing educators value and recognise the importance of their work with children. But their professional contribution is not always acknowledged.

“[Being told by government] we are here to support ‘essential workers’ without actually being referred to as essential ourselves was a real blow to the industry and self-esteem of educators.”

Read more: 'Insulting' and 'degrading': budget funding for childcare may help families but educators are still being paid pennies[13]

Acknowledgement at the local level was even more important to educator well-being during the pandemic:

“Families [are] really, really appreciating the work that we do. I think they got an extra insight into, and appreciation, for the work that the educators do for their children.”

Research[14] in child development shows us the continuum of vital learning between birth and eight years of age. However, the Australian education system treats school and pre-school settings very differently. Educators felt ignored in government decision-making throughout the pandemic, and have long argued for early learning to be recognised as pivotal for life trajectories.

“A system that acknowledges the absolute fundamental truth that unless you get early childhood right, you never get it. That child then struggles into adulthood. And as educators, we know that. So that affects our well-being as well.”

Let’s listen to educators

The pandemic has added to existing strains on the system. Educators’ well-being has continued to suffer as a result. As one educator said:

“The stress of COVID-19 exacerbated any of the stresses and difficulties that were going [on], it didn’t create them. The precedent that we have, there were always going to be problems.”

We know there’s a problem, we know the problem affects the community more broadly, but to support well-being effectively, we need to understand the experiences of educators themselves. We need to keep listening to them and act on what they’re telling us.

Here’s a good place to start: encourage self-care and provide access to resources; support and sustain relationships; acknowledge educators’ essential role in society and recognise that their well-being matters.

References

  1. ^ Our research (link.springer.com)
  2. ^ challenging working conditions (eprints.qut.edu.au)
  3. ^ long hours, with poor pay (theconversation.com)
  4. ^ choosing to leave the sector (theconversation.com)
  5. ^ Early childhood educators are leaving in droves. Here are 3 ways to keep them, and attract more (theconversation.com)
  6. ^ A stable, qualified and healthy workforce (snapshots.acecqa.gov.au)
  7. ^ our research (link.springer.com)
  8. ^ Beyond Blue (www.beyondblue.org.au)
  9. ^ Employee Assistance Program (eapassist.com.au)
  10. ^ Early childhood educators are slaves to the demands of box-ticking regulations (theconversation.com)
  11. ^ reported strong relationships with the children (link.springer.com)
  12. ^ Workforce studies (www.oecd-ilibrary.org)
  13. ^ 'Insulting' and 'degrading': budget funding for childcare may help families but educators are still being paid pennies (theconversation.com)
  14. ^ Research (journals.sagepub.com)

Read more https://theconversation.com/early-childhood-educators-feel-burnt-out-and-undervalued-heres-what-we-can-do-to-help-170091

Times Magazine

Building an AI-First Culture in Your Company

AI isn't just something to think about anymore - it's becoming part of how we live and work, whether we like it or not. At the office, it definitely helps us move faster. But here's the thing: just using tools like ChatGPT or plugging AI into your wo...

Data Management Isn't Just About Tech—Here’s Why It’s a Human Problem Too

Photo by Kevin Kuby Manuel O. Diaz Jr.We live in a world drowning in data. Every click, swipe, medical scan, and financial transaction generates information, so much that managing it all has become one of the biggest challenges of our digital age. Bu...

Headless CMS in Digital Twins and 3D Product Experiences

Image by freepik As the metaverse becomes more advanced and accessible, it's clear that multiple sectors will use digital twins and 3D product experiences to visualize, connect, and streamline efforts better. A digital twin is a virtual replica of ...

The Decline of Hyper-Casual: How Mid-Core Mobile Games Took Over in 2025

In recent years, the mobile gaming landscape has undergone a significant transformation, with mid-core mobile games emerging as the dominant force in app stores by 2025. This shift is underpinned by changing user habits and evolving monetization tr...

Understanding ITIL 4 and PRINCE2 Project Management Synergy

Key Highlights ITIL 4 focuses on IT service management, emphasising continual improvement and value creation through modern digital transformation approaches. PRINCE2 project management supports systematic planning and execution of projects wit...

What AI Adoption Means for the Future of Workplace Risk Management

Image by freepik As industrial operations become more complex and fast-paced, the risks faced by workers and employers alike continue to grow. Traditional safety models—reliant on manual oversight, reactive investigations, and standardised checklist...

The Times Features

Is our mental health determined by where we live – or is it the other way round? New research sheds more light

Ever felt like where you live is having an impact on your mental health? Turns out, you’re not imagining things. Our new analysis[1] of eight years of data from the New Zeal...

Going Off the Beaten Path? Here's How to Power Up Without the Grid

There’s something incredibly freeing about heading off the beaten path. No traffic, no crowded campsites, no glowing screens in every direction — just you, the landscape, and the...

West HQ is bringing in a season of culinary celebration this July

Western Sydney’s leading entertainment and lifestyle precinct is bringing the fire this July and not just in the kitchen. From $29 lobster feasts and award-winning Asian banque...

What Endo Took and What It Gave Me

From pain to purpose: how one woman turned endometriosis into a movement After years of misdiagnosis, hormone chaos, and major surgery, Jo Barry was done being dismissed. What beg...

Why Parents Must Break the Silence on Money and Start Teaching Financial Skills at Home

Australia’s financial literacy rates are in decline, and our kids are paying the price. Certified Money Coach and Financial Educator Sandra McGuire, who has over 20 years’ exp...

Australia’s Grill’d Transforms Operations with Qlik

Boosting Burgers and Business Clean, connected data powers real-time insights, smarter staffing, and standout customer experiences Sydney, Australia, 14 July 2025 – Qlik®, a g...