In this proposed secondary data analysis study, we draw data from the 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE; W1), the NSECE COVID-19 follow-up surveys from 2020 (W2) and 2021 (W3), structural racism and Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) state policy databases, and the New York Times COVID-19 database. With these data, we plan to examine how conditions prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the well-being (physical, mental, and financial) and retention of Black HBCC child care providers in the CCEE field. Such conditions include personal and professional characteristics, receipt of COVID-related financial relief, as well as structural racism. In this proposed project, we will address four specific research questions (RQs):

• What were the well-being (physical, mental, and financial) and career trajectories of the Black HBCC workforce from 2019-2021?
• How much variation in well-being and retention during the COVID-19 pandemic is explained by structural racism as well as the personal and professional characteristics of Black HBCC professionals prior to the pandemic?
• How much variation in Black HBCC provider well-being and retention is explained by COVID-19 exposure and/or local COVID-19 death rates during the pandemic?
• Did receipt of pandemic-related financial assistance and/or the presence of state-level child care COVID-19 response policies independently; or in combination with other personal, professional, and community characteristics; promote the well-being and retention of the Black HBCC workforce?

The findings generated by this proposed project have the potential to identify critical social policy levers for supporting the Black HBCC professionals. To advance this goal, the proposed project will also include ongoing engagement with an HBCC provider advisory group as well as dissemination activities targeted to research, policy, and HBCC audiences. (author abstract)