In 2023, EdSurge looked for new bright spots in early care and education. In addition to continuing to report on the challenges of this fragile and fractured system, we wanted to find and tell stories of resilience, innovation, burgeoning solutions, and promising programs.
Last year, we published a number of articles examining some of the efforts being made across the United States to improve learning, development, and care for young children and their caregivers. We’ve compiled everything below so you can find it all in one place.
We’re proud that these stories have started conversations and helped build momentum among communities seeking a better path forward. These stories not only provide analysis and insight, but also provide a glimpse into the experiences of real families and educators whose lives and livelihoods are either suffering or benefiting.
In 2024, we will continue to strengthen our programs, projects, people and policies aimed at building stronger and more sustainable early childhood systems in this country.
Do you know one? Whether it’s small town successes, national ambitions, policy proposals, or other approaches that are gaining momentum, we’d love to hear about what you’re seeing, hearing, and doing. I would like to know.
Please fill in this shape along with your suggestions. No idea is too small.
We’ve taken the time to read last year’s articles and look forward to continuing to report on this important area.
What would happen if we gave child care providers predictable, unconditional cash? That’s the driving force behind the Thriving Providers Project, piloted in Colorado and expanding to cities across the country. This initiative is based on the idea that guaranteed income improves caregivers’ financial stability and, in turn, enables them and their families to thrive. We’ll take a closer look at how it works and how it’s progressing so far.
Since the pandemic began, employers have become increasingly involved in child care, offering benefits such as on-site programs and monthly subsidies to help recruit and retain employees. The federal government also supports this approach. However, as workplace childcare benefits become more commonplace, workplace childcare benefits have also sparked debate. Let’s take a look at the pros, cons, and nuances of this argument. This article was co-published with USA Today.
In recent years, Colorado has invested heavily in early childhood education in a concerted effort to become the best state in the country for raising children. The state is making progress, but guess what? And can other states replicate that success? Edsage had the opportunity to ask these questions in an interview with Colorado Governor Jared Polis.
As EdSurge reported in a four-part series last summer, the housing environment can feel hostile to people who want to care for and educate young children at home. However, there are some bright spots. From establishing “child-friendly landlords” to building affordable housing specifically designated for home-based childcare providers, these projects are designed to help families struggling to find and finance suitable housing. provide relief to childcare workers who are This article was co-published with The 19th.
Last summer, EdSurge documented the housing challenges faced by home-based child care providers, which threatened their livelihoods and reduced the supply of child care in the United States. In the fourth installment of our housing series, we focus on several states that have recently passed laws that remove some of the housing hurdles for home-based providers of all political persuasions.
In 2017, American Falls, a one-stop farming community in conservative Idaho, had the “lowest” kindergarten enrollment rate. School leaders then launched a campaign to encourage families to “read, talk and play” with their children every day. This simple belief became a movement, and today American Falls has a goal of universal preschool. We visited the town last fall to find out exactly how this change happened. This article was published in partnership with The Associated Press.
A five-year experiment has been underway in conservative Idaho to see if a bottom-up, locally-driven approach to early care and education will ultimately be the solution that sticks. Every day, thousands of families across the state benefit. Could success in Idaho serve as a roadmap for other parts of the country that lack public funding for early childhood education?
At a time when child care challenges are on the minds of parents, employers, and policy makers alike, with no silver bullets or easy answers, Michigan’s Try-Share child care model is a program with great promise. It is said that it is emerging as We would like to thank the many people involved in its development and growth. We’ll look at how cost-sharing programs are implemented and whether they work at scale. This article was co-published with USA Today.