Latest

Child Care Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on our already fragile child care system. Providers have closed, others are struggling, and everyone it seems is realizing that without child care, America can’t get back to work. (Yes, child care is infrastructure.) Early Learning Nation is covering the field with rigor and nuance from a historical perspective (Universal Child Care was a great success during WWII), to the latest legislative proposals and to ways that we must transform the way we treat our undervalued and largely unseen child care workforce.

Preschool Expulsions Shine Light on Inadequate Pay, Lack of Resources, Absence of Support Systems

Alice Bradley·October 14, 2021·6 min read

As any of us know who’ve spent time with preschoolers, they can be highly challenging. They have strong opinions, but...

The Raising Child Care Fund: Centering the Most Impacted Voices

Elliot Haspel·October 13, 2021·10 min read

As the fight for an effective and well-funded child care system continues, philanthropies are exploring innovative avenues to support advocacy...

Michigan’s First of Its Kind Program Shares Child Care Costs Between the State, Employers and Employees

Bryce Covert·October 5, 2021·7 min read

As a state representative in Michigan, Greg VanWoerkom has gone on a lot of tours of local businesses to find...

Child Tax Credit Dramatically Cuts Child Poverty; Can It Become Permanent?

Bryce Covert·September 28, 2021·4 min read

This July, American parents started experiencing something brand new. After Democrats passed an expansion of the Child Tax Credit in...

Working from Home in West Virginia, Championing #PaidLeaveforAll in Her Spare Time

Mark Swartz·September 27, 2021·3 min read

If Tiffany Gale got eight full hours of sleep a night, she’d never be able to get everything done. In...

National Women’s Law Center’s #WeAretheBackbone Campaign Gives Voice to Child Care Workers

Mark Swartz·September 16, 2021·5 min read

Child care workers are the backbone of the economy and a smart new campaign from the National Women’s Law Center...

New Report Provides Data, Illuminates Opportunities and Challenges for Home-based Pre-K Providers

Venette Pierre·August 26, 2021·4 min read

Home-based child care, including licensed Family Child Care (FCC), is an ideal solution for many families, including those who work...

New Poverty Tracker from Robin Hood: The Devastating Costs of Child Care Disruptions

Ayana Bartholomew and Loris Toribio·August 25, 2021·3 min read

In 2012, Robin Hood partnered with the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University to launch the Poverty...

OPINION: Would You Like Fries with That?

How Low Wages Exploit America’s Child Care Workforce and Undermine its Future

Dr. Dan Wuori·June 11, 2021·3 min read

Fast-food giant McDonald’s recently announced that it is raising its entry-level pay within corporate-owned locations. Depending on geography, new hires...

“You Can’t Compare Apples and Pears”: Setting the Record Straight on Quebec’s Child Care System

Elliot Haspel·June 8, 2021·6 min read

As the debate rages over proposals to improve U.S. child care, several commentators— mostly self-described conservatives—have pointed to Quebec’s child...