Comprehensive Approaches to Raising Educational Standards in the Early Learning Workforce (C.A.R.E.S.) is a professional incentive program designed to encourage early care and education workers including child care staff to remain in their current positions. The primary goals are to improve recruitment and retention of highly qualified early childhood educators and child care professionals. Another objective is to enhance the quality of child care program environments through improving the skill level of individuals that work directly with children.

C.A.R.E.S. started as a statewide initiative in 1996 when a staffing crisis in child care was first identified. Research shows that staff turnover is experienced by children as loss, and can negatively affect children's learning and emotional well-being. Many counties have responded by designing programs to retain qualified early care and education workers and improve the quality of child care. Although different programs may share many similar features, each county's retention program is unique.

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