Exploring early educator burnout and process quality in a statewide sample

Building on literature linking educators' psychosocial well-being to early education and care quality, this study analyzed early educators' (N = 648) reports of burnout across a range of group-based care types in one state and examined the relation of burnout to setting quality. Confirmatory factor analysis showed the burnout measure, a self-reported emotional exhaustion scale, had a one-factor structure and adequate internal consistency among educators working in a range of early education and care settings. Measured by the scale, educators on average reported infrequent feelings of burnout. There were small but statistically significant differences in burnout scores by setting type, with Head Start educators on average reporting modestly more frequent burnout symptoms than educators in community-based centers (β=0.29,b = 0.30, SE = 0.13, p = 0.014) or family childcare settings (β=0.57,b = 0.60, SE = 0.14, p < 0.001). Only one significant association was observed between educators' self-reported burnout scores and setting quality after accounting for educator and setting characteristics: a negative association with child involvement (β =  - 0.09,b = -0.04, SE = 0.02, p = 0.03). These findings contribute to the field's understanding of burnout as a component of educator well-being and provide initial insight about targeting supports to improve educator well-being.