蜜桃影视

Despite working in captivity for most of 2020, Early Learning Nation continued to speak with top early learning researchers, educators, policymakers, and nonprofit and business leaders all year long. As we look to a new year of great promise, we asked them about their biggest wishes for 2021. Here are their responses.

---

鈥淢y hope for 2021 is that the conversations and journey will continue regarding racial injustices happening in all places, including in early learning, and that there will be concrete legislative actions to address racial trauma and bias. I hope that 2021 brings the recognition of the role of women, especially Black women, as foundational to the transformation of early care and education systems, programs and services.鈥�

鈥擨heoma U. Iruka, research professor at the Department of Public Policy and founding director of the Equity Research Action Coalition at FPG Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

---

鈥淢y hopes for 2021 are the following: (1) In policy decision-making, I鈥檇 like to prioritize getting relief to households with young children, who are at the most vulnerable time of their lives in terms of brain development. The longer we wait, the bigger the price we鈥檒l pay as a society. (2) I鈥檇 like to see funds not only put into material relief (which is critical to address hunger, safe housing, medical care and child care), but also into supporting the mental health needs of young children and parents, and into the childcare system and workforce. (3) I鈥檇 like us as a nation to attend to the fact that structural inequalities based on race/ethnicity, income and family structure (which existed before the pandemic) have grown wider and that are putting millions of children at enhanced risk of diminished health and well-being across their lifespan.鈥�

鈥擯hilip A. Fisher, Philip H. Knight Chair & Professor of Psychology and director of the Center for Translational NeuroScience at the University of Oregon

---

鈥淚 hope we will see legislation in Florida in 2021 that prioritizes children. We are taking aim at enhancing quality early education for all children and at ensuring robust supports for families with young children because we cannot transform the lives of children without ensuring the needs of the adults who care for them are met.鈥�

鈥擬adeleine K. Thakur, chief of staff at The Children鈥檚 Movement of Florida

---

鈥淭his year brought out the deep, historical struggles that families in every community face鈥攆amilies from urban, rural, tribal, suburban and every community in between. As we begin the work of rebuilding our early learning programs and infrastructure back better and more equitable than before in the year ahead, my hope is that family voices are lifted up in the planning, implementation, oversight and evaluation of all programs serving children from birth to age 5 and their families. We know this will lead to early learning programs that truly support family well-being, effective family and community engagement and children鈥檚 school readiness so that every child has the opportunity to thrive.鈥�

鈥擱ebecca Berlin, chief learning officer at Start Early and principal investigator of the  (NCPFCE)

---

鈥淚n 2021, we hope to see an end to family separation of all forms, including the harmful separation of children from their parents by child welfare systems. As we reopen our schools and other public spaces, we hope that children, youth and families will feel supported by their communities and not monitored or surveilled. This has been a remarkable time for everyone, and we hope that 2021 is a time to commit financing, policies and practices to make sure children and youth are safe and supported in their families and communities.鈥�

鈥擜lan Dettlaff, University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work and Kristen Weber, Center for the Study of Social Policy

---

鈥淢y greatest wish for 2021 is that we don鈥檛 forget the lessons from 2020鈥攆rom the pandemic, the unjust racial relations, the political strife, the quarantines, as well as virtual learning and working. Let鈥檚 remember what these situations taught us about the sometimes-needless busyness of our lives, about the importance of true families and friends, about how we work best, about what real teaching and learning could be, and about the importance of belonging and equity in every facet of our lives. Let鈥檚 abide by these lessons from 2020 as we move into 2021 and beyond.鈥�

鈥擡llen Galinsky, chief science officer at Bezos Family Foundation

---

鈥淚n 2021, it is my sincere hope that we will reach the other side of this pandemic with new policies and an infrastructure that creates the conditions for children and families to thrive. Child care will be saved, paid family and medical leave will be made permanent nationwide and families will be spared economic ruin.鈥�

鈥擬yra Jones-Taylor, chief policy officer, ZERO TO THREE

---

鈥淚f this year has taught us anything, it鈥檚 how much we need to be together鈥攁nd how critical the playground is for kids and their families to do just that. Unfortunately, access to safe places to play is an opportunity that many kids didn鈥檛 have before the pandemic, and won鈥檛 have when the world opens up again. No kid deserves to experience playspace inequity鈥攁 lack of places to play where kids live and learn, due to their ZIP code or color of their skin. We can change this, by bringing communities together, and creating more incredible playspaces for the kids impacted the most. Our hope for 2021 is to make sure kids have spaces where they can connect, grow, and feel like they belong.鈥�

鈥擜my Levner, vice president of communications and marketing at KABOOM!

---

鈥淚n 2021, my hope is that the families with babies and young children who are suffering the most from the pandemic receive the material and moral support they desperately need our from our communities and our nation.鈥�

鈥擬atthew Melmed, executive director, ZERO TO THREE

---

鈥淚t is my sincerest hope that we cultivate a culture of kindness and that we honor the needs of families across the country. This means working to meet them where they are, celebrating everything they make possible for their kids and doing everything we possibly can to help them provide their children with the best possible start in life.鈥�

鈥擩ane Park, director of Too Small to Fail, the early childhood initiative of the Clinton Foundation

---

鈥淢y hopes are that the inspiring collaborations we鈥檝e seen at First Book鈥攁nd across the sector鈥攖o support educators and children in need over the course of the pandemic continue to grow. We will be challenged by COVID-19 long after the vaccines have been distributed鈥攕o we must recommit ourselves to answer the call from the increasing number of people who desperately need our help. We need to hold hands to address these growing economic disparities and the racism that plagues us鈥攕o that more children and families can realize a better future. I also hope that over the course of 2021 we can safely reconvene with our friends and co-workers, educators and kids. We have a lot of hugs and stories to share with each other.鈥�

鈥擪yle Zimmer, president, CEO and co-founder of First Book

---

鈥淚 am hopeful that racial equity has risen to the surface of our national dialogue again, and that each time it brings more and more impactful change. I am hopeful that many families have, despite the incredible challenges of the year, found ways to bond and build shared stories that build relationships. For me, personally, I am hopeful that my new habits of daily walks and letter writing continue into the coming years!鈥�

鈥擬arley Jarvis, Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences at University of Washington

Disclosure: The Bezos Family Foundation provides financial support to Early Learning Nation.

This story originally published on Early Learning Nation and is now archived on 蜜桃影视. Learn more here.