Page 2 – Early Learning Nation

5 Questions for the Governor: Delaware’s John Carney

The Editors·Feb 2, 2021·4 min read

We have many schools in our state that are doing incredible work, from Frederick Douglass Elementary in Seaford to Etta Wilson Elementary in Newark. Our focus is to ensure every single child is successful. This is the most important work we do as a state, and I will do everything in my power to continue to support children, educators and families.

5 Questions for the Governor: Mississippi’s Tate Reeves

The Editors·Aug 31, 2020·4 min read

Mississippians are resilient. In the face of tremendous danger, they have come together. We have been able to put politics aside and fight this virus as one.

Cailin O’Connor: Measuring Up – How to Track the Metrics & Data of Early Learning Communities

The Editors·Nov 22, 2019·6 min read

How can communities know the progress they’re making – or areas to grow – in becoming a true center for early learning? In Part Two of our conversation, Cailin O’Connor, Senior Associate at the Center for the Study of Social Policy, explains the metrics, inputs and outputs of the Digital Progress Rating Tool and the early childhood system performance assessment toolkit.

More than 700 Child Care Providers Shut Their Doors to Demand Better Pay

“Without Child Care, There’s No Workforce”

Bryce Covert·May 8, 2023·4 min read

Lorretta Johnson has been running a child care out of her home in Austin, Texas since 1999, caring mostly for...

Analysis: Public School Pre-K Teachers Are Professionals, But Aren’t Treated That Way

From pay to professional development to coordination with colleagues in higher grades, schools have a long way to go, study finds

Jill Cannon, Elizabeth Steiner and Anna Shapiro·Apr 24, 2025·3 min read

States are investing in expanding their pre-K programs. More than 1.5 million children were enrolled in a state-funded pre-K in...

Babies are Naturals at the Fine Art of Taking a Fall—And It Doesn’t Even Slow Them Down

K.C. Compton·Dec 28, 2021·6 min read

When babies are learning to walk, they fall on average 17 times an hour. Given that frequency of falls, you...

‘It Made Me a Better Mom’: Home Visiting Program Delivers Support For Families

In St. Louis, trained parent educators help parents and caregivers navigate developmental milestones and support kids from birth until kindergarten.

Rebecca Gale·Mar 31, 2025·5 min read

Jettaqua Johnson was 22 years old, pregnant with her first child, and worried. The father of her child was incarcerated,...

5 Questions for the Governor: New Jersey’s Phil Murphy

The Editors·Oct 7, 2021·4 min read

Where do you go for the top news in Early Learning at the state level? Check out “5 Questions for...

Book Review: Wanting What’s Best: Parenting, Privilege and Building a Just World

K.C. Compton·Nov 8, 2022·5 min read

Jaffe doesn’t blame parents of privilege—a category to which she belongs—for the terrible circumstances of other children’s lives, but she does make clear that we all have a responsibility and a role in creating and perpetuating that disparity.

Alaska Calling: Molly of Denali’s Native Smarts

Mark Swartz·Sep 17, 2020·3 min read

Just as Early Learning Nation showcases the ways families, researchers and grassroots nonprofits and organizations are building an early learning...

New Report: How Supercharging the Child Tax Credit Benefited Young Children, and What Comes Next

An Interview with Olivia Golden

Mark Swartz·Jun 18, 2024·6 min read

The federal Child Tax Credit (CTC) expanded in 2021 to address hardships families were facing during the pandemic. The size...

American Rescue Plan Act Funds Are On The Way to Help Child Care Providers – But Will it Be Enough?

Blacksburg, Virginia has money allocated to give child care providers a much-needed pay boost, but for some it may be too late.

Rebecca Gale·Aug 8, 2023·9 min read

Lourdie believes she has found her life’s work as a child care worker. She loves her work in the infant-toddler...

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