Why Competency Retains Staff: More Skill, Less Stress

          There’s been a lot of talk about retention in early childhood education—and with good reason. Turnover rates are still sky-high, and many directors are constantly hiring, onboarding, and starting over.

          While pay and perks matter, there’s another factor we don’t talk about enough: competency.
When staff feel confident and capable, they stay. When they don’t? They burn out and leave.

Here’s why building real skillsets—not just providing training—makes such a difference.

Confidence Lowers Stress (and Mistakes)

          ECE is demanding. Classroom management, parent communication, licensing requirements, developmental knowledge—it’s a lot. And when teachers feel like they’re constantly winging it, that stress builds up fast.

          But when staff are given the time, tools, and mentorship to truly understand their roles, something shifts. They make decisions more quickly. They recover from challenges more easily. They like their jobs more, because they don’t feel like they’re drowning in them.

Confidence doesn’t come from one orientation video. It comes from practice, feedback, and the space to grow.

Competency Builds Trust With Leaership

          One of the top reasons staff leave is feeling unsupported or micromanaged. But here’s the thing: leaders are more likely to step back and empower their teams when they trust their skills. Want to delegate more? Want to promote from within? Want to spend less time fixing things that went sideways? Then invest in helping your staff become more competent—not just compliant.

That means:

• Modeling and coaching, not just “telling”
  
  

• Creating learning loops (practice → feedback → refine)
  
  

Encouraging shared leadership and peer mentoring

People Stay Where They Feel They’re Getting Better

          At the end of the day, most educators don’t want to feel stuck or stagnant. They want to grow. And when they do? They stay.

          Retention doesn’t have to be a scramble for more pay or bonuses. It can be about building a center where people get better at their craft every month. Where training is practical. Where leadership is shared. Where success is defined by growth, not just survival.

Download our FREE eBook today to learn more about how multilingual professional development can help your childcare center thrive!