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Elliot’s Provocations

Elliot’s Provocations unpacks current events in the early learning world and explores how we can chart a path to a future where all children can flourish. Regarding the title, if you’re not steeped in early childhood education (ECE) lingo, a “provocation” is the field’s term—taken from the Reggio-Emilia philosophy of early education—for offering someone the opportunity to engage with an idea.

We hope this monthly column does that: provocations are certainly not answers, but we hope Elliot’s Provocations helps you pause and consider concepts in a different way.

Elliot’s Provocations: 5 Early Learning Trends for 2024

Elliot Haspel·December 6, 2023·8 min read

Last year, I wrote a column on five trends to look for in 2023 (which I think in retrospect were mostly apt, though the answer to ‘is bipartisanship possible’ seems to have been ‘outlook not so good’), and thought it would be worthwhile to do it again as the calendar gets ready to turn.

Elliot’s Provocations: Offering Child Care Educators Free Child Care: A Stopgap Measure with Legs

Elliot Haspel·November 1, 2023·5 min read

If you’ve been following my work at all, you know I bristle at many “incremental” solutions to child care challenges.

Elliot’s Provocations: In a Year of Unions Flexing Power, Child Care is a Question Mark

Elliot Haspel·October 3, 2023·4 min read

Amid major union actions in the auto and entertainment industries and a historic looming strike by health care workers, I want to talk about the role of unions in child care.

Elliot’s Provocations: Whither Family, Friends & Neighbor Care?

Elliot Haspel·September 5, 2023·6 min read

If caregiving is labor, if caregiving supports child development, if caregiving boosts the economy, if caregiving enables family flourishing, then how can we say only institutional programs belong within child care policy?

Child Care is Now Free for Some Families–Which Raises Some Questions!

Elliot Haspel·August 1, 2023·6 min read

Elliot’s Provocations unpacks current events in the early learning world and explores how we can chart a path to a...

Elliot’s Provocations: The Minimum Viable Child Care Fallacy

Elliot Haspel·July 6, 2023·17 min read

I dislike the economic case for child care. I’m not talking about my take on the role of employers, but the near-constant way lawmakers and advocates of both parties rest their case for supporting child care on its function as an economic driver.

Elliot’s Provocations: Bring on School-Aged Care

Can We Create a Seamless Melding of Early Child Care and School-Aged Care?

Elliot Haspel·June 5, 2023·5 min read

Linking early child care and school-aged care is a good idea both on the merits and the politics. I’m hardly the first one to point this out, but I want to highlight the opportunity here as we head into summer break and the acute headache it causes for many families.

Elliot’s Provocations: When the Waters Rise on Child Care Programs

Elliot Haspel·May 2, 2023·5 min read

If you’ve been following my work for the past year, you know I am deeply concerned about how unprepared our child- and family-serving systems are for this new reality. I’m not the only one. A new report puts a fine point on why early care & education stakeholders need to have a climate strategy, and why public officials need to have ECE in their climate strategy: a staggering number of child care programs are under threat.

Elliot’s Provocations: Where Have All the Child Care Lobbyists Gone?

Elliot Haspel·April 4, 2023·4 min read

Last month, I wrote about how child care’s lack of salience in the public imagination is holding back its political opportunities. The absence of mass public pressure is one piece of the puzzle. Another piece is that by and large, child care lacks a strong inside game.

Elliot’s Provocations: Voter Support for Child Care Is Sky-High Yet Butter-Soft

Elliot Haspel·March 1, 2023·8 min read

Elliot’s Provocations unpacks current events in the early learning world and explores how we can chart a path to a...

Elliot’s Provocations

Elliot’s Provocations: 5 Early Learning Trends for 2024

Elliot’s Provocations: Offering Child Care Educators Free Child Care: A Stopgap Measure with Legs

Elliot’s Provocations: In a Year of Unions Flexing Power, Child Care is a Question Mark

Elliot’s Provocations: Whither Family, Friends & Neighbor Care?

Child Care is Now Free for Some Families–Which Raises Some Questions!

Elliot’s Provocations: The Minimum Viable Child Care Fallacy

Elliot’s Provocations: Bring on School-Aged Care

Elliot’s Provocations: When the Waters Rise on Child Care Programs

Elliot’s Provocations: Where Have All the Child Care Lobbyists Gone?

Elliot’s Provocations: Voter Support for Child Care Is Sky-High Yet Butter-Soft

Elliot’s Provocations: 5 Early Learning Trends for 2024

5 Questions for the Governor: Oklahoma’s Kevin Stitt

More Than Meets the Eye: Jeremiah Program’s Chastity Lord

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