In 2023, EdSurge published a record number of articles about early care and education. This is the most we’ve published since we started covering this age group about five years ago.
So, for the first time this year, we’re bringing you a list of the articles that resonate most with our readers. Below are the 10 most popular early childhood stories of the past 12 months. These can roughly be divided into two groups.
Among them are several articles that delve into the dire state of the early learning sector today and what’s at stake now that pandemic-era federal funding has expired. Why is this sector so fragile and fragile? What is happening now that early learning programs have crossed the “fiscal cliff”?
The other is a story of hope and resilience. This article highlights solutions and promising innovations underway that could bring relief to this beleaguered sector at a time when widespread federal investment in early education is highly unlikely. Our reporters and contributors find out. These stories include local initiatives, private sector contributions, and public-private partnerships that are often scalable.
See the most read articles of 2023 below. If 10 isn’t enough for you, you can read all our early childhood articles here.
10 Most Popular ECE Stories (in descending order)
10. How a small town in a red state rallied around a universal preschool
Written by Emily Tate Sullivan
In 2017, kindergarten enrollment in American Falls, a one-stoplight agricultural community in conservative Idaho, hit rock bottom. 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 the town embraces the goal of universal preschool education. Our reporter visited American Falls to find out exactly how this change happened.
9. Parenting cliff, a cautionary tale
Written by Rebecca Gale and Diane Kirsch
What is the Parenting Cliff? Why should people care about the Parenting Cliff? These are the questions Rebecca Gale and Diane Kirsch team up to explore in a graphic story. In a series of illustrations, the duo unpacks the child care cliff, what happens after federal funding for child care dries up, and why we need to support efforts to invest in child care infrastructure.
8. For child care programs, see Closures, Retirements, and Tuition Increases After Federal Funds Expire.
Written by Emily Tate Sullivan
It’s been months since $24 billion in child care stabilization subsidies expired, sending the nation’s early child care and education programs over the so-called fiscal cliff. Without stop-gap funding solutions, the problems those funds solved are resurfacing. We spoke with West Virginia educators and families to understand what that historic funding made possible and the “impossible choices” they now face.
7. What you need to know about the growing popularity of employer-sponsored child care
Written by Emily Tate Sullivan
Employers are increasingly involved in childcare, offering benefits such as on-site childcare and monthly stipends to offset costs. Last May, EdSurge published an in-depth article about this growing trend and the controversy surrounding it. The following month, we published another article, or “TL;DR” version, about the key takeaways from our report on employer-sponsored child care.
6. We need a better path to becoming an early childhood teacher
Written by Jay Lee
“Access to high-quality early childhood education is one of the most powerful and proven ways to close equity gaps and support communities,” said Jay Lee, an early childhood teacher in Oakland, California. Yes,” he wrote. However, there are not enough teachers. So why is it so difficult to become a certified early childhood teacher, Lee wonders? In his essay, Lee explores why it’s important to build inclusive and accessible pathways.
5. Federal government establishes first center for early childhood workforce
Written by Emily Tate Sullivan
Since the pandemic began, the challenges facing the early care and education workforce have reached crisis levels, and the federal government has taken notice. No, the federal government is not providing universal preschool or capping child care costs (at least not yet), but it is implementing a first-of-its-kind initiative to improve pay and working conditions in the field. launched the ECE Workforce Center. And they aim to create real solutions, not just research reports.
4. Who looks after the mental health of infants and young children?
Written by Emily Tate Sullivan
The mental health crisis among teens has received a lot of attention recently. But what about younger children? Children of all ages (including babies) can suffer from mental health issues and are not immune to the stressors caused by the pandemic. We spoke to experts to find out what it’s like when infants and young children are having difficulties and why early intervention is important.
3. Is childcare disrupted by the coronavirus, or was it already disrupted? A simple visual explanation
Written by Rebecca Gale and Diane Kirsch
“America’s child care system isn’t working for everyone, and without sustained federal investment, our finances will remain bankrupt,” said New America’s Better Life Lab. Reporter Rebecca Gale writes. This visual explanation, created by Gale in collaboration with illustrator Diane Kirsch, explains why.
2. Early childhood education experts are also involved as Bezos Academy preschools spread across the country
Written by Lila Burke
Five years ago, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced plans to donate funds to start a chain of free early childhood education. As of May 2023, the Bezos Academy network had more than a dozen sites in Washington, Texas, and Florida. Here’s what early childhood experts were pleasantly surprised, and not so impressed, about the new Montessori-Style His program.
1. What happens if I give money to a child care provider with no strings attached?
Written by Emily Tate Sullivan
What would happen if we gave child care providers predictable, unconditional cash? That’s the question driving the Thriving Providers Project, which started in a pilot project in Colorado and is expanding to cities across the country. The initiative is based on the idea that guaranteed income increases financial security for caregivers, which in turn enables them and their families to thrive. We’ll take a closer look at how it works and how it goes.
