2021 was a momentous year for early childhood care & education. The field suffered blow after blow from COVID and then a knock-on staffing crisis; received nearly $50 billion in rescue funds to temporarily patch the gaping leaks; and is ending the year on the precipice of receiving enough public funds through the Build Back Better Act to finally become a stable and healthy sector.
Elliot Haspel is a nationally-recognized child & family policy expert and commentator, with a specialty in early childhood and education issues. He is the author of Crawling Behind: America’s Childcare Crisis and How to Fix It, and a Senior Fellow at the think tank Capita. Elliot has appeared on television as an analyst, including on The PBS Newshour with Judy Woodruff, and his writings have appeared in a wide variety of top publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. Elliot holds an B.A. in History from the University of Virginia and an M.Ed. in Education Policy from Harvard's Graduate School of Education.
Elliot also writes a free semi-monthly newsletter, The Parents Aren't Alright.
Build Back Better Helps, Not Hurts, Faith-Based Child Care
Critics are Overselling the Changes While Religious Programs Fight for Their Lives
While the investments in early care and education appear broadly safe, one unresolved design question concerns what should be required of child care programs operated by faith communities.
It feels bizarre to be writing these words, but the U.S. stands on the verge of a real early learning system.
My paternity leaves were some of the most cherished weeks of my life. While far too short, I have crystal-clear...
As the fight for an effective and well-funded child care system continues, philanthropies are exploring innovative avenues to support advocacy...
While the U.S. is busy debating whether or not to finally invest in our failing child care system, Canada is busy doing it.
Welcome to the first edition of my new monthly column, “Elliot’s Provocations.” The goal of this column is to unpack...
What if, as a counterpart to public school districts for children five and under, we had “early childhood districts” adapted...
It will take a long time for us to fully unpack the damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Research has...
State Roundup: The Summer of Child Care Innovations
New Mexico, Illinois and Connecticut Provide Cross-Section of States Making Bold Moves
Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis famously said that states are the “laboratories of democracy.” It turns out they are the...