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, a new initiative of the , supports diverse coalitions in states 鈥渞eady to mount long-term campaigns to achieve transformative change in their child care policies and funding.鈥� It grew out of calls for more ambitious and equitable advocacy that emerged from the devastation that the pandemic brought to the early care and education system. As Albert Wat, senior policy director with the Alliance, explains, 鈥淚n order to create and sustain bold policy changes, we recognized we needed to invest in campaigns that combine the power that comes from traditional advocates and other policy and research organizations, with the power that comes from grassroots organizers and the leadership of those who are most impacted, but often left out of the decision-making process.鈥�

Currently, Child Care NEXT funds six state coalitions . I had the honor of attending the inaugural summit and meeting tireless, fearless advocates from five of the six state coalitions selected for the first round. A bit later, I caught up with the sixth advocate via Zoom.

Inclusive Louisiana

Libbie Sonnier and Rochelle Wilcox are co-chairs of Louisiana, a coalition that centers the voices of early childhood providers as well as parents. Their partnership 鈥� Sonnier leads the , Wilcox runs and cofounded 鈥� exemplifies the balance of voices that powers change in their state.

鈥淲e鈥檙e here to make sure early learning looks more inclusive,鈥� said Wilcox. 鈥淭hat means every stakeholder having a seat at the table. They鈥檙e not just tokens.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檝e come a long way,鈥� reflected Sonnier, pointing to how they鈥檝e called attention to the importance of perinatal and maternal health and well-being.

Wilcox emphasized factors beyond home and school. 鈥淎ddressing the whole child means addressing the ecosystem,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ousing, the environment, everything.鈥�

Although Louisiana has a long history of fiscal conservatism, Wilcox and Sonnier pointed to at the state level as well as a voter-approved  as evidence that elected officials can and will make needed investments if held to account. 鈥淲hen you make the business case for early care and education, it becomes a nonpartisan issue,鈥� said Sonnier.

Sonnier and Wilcox cited a custom among the Masai tribe of Africa. Instead of greeting each other with, 鈥淗ow are you?鈥� they say, 鈥�Kassaerian Engeri?鈥� which means, 鈥淎nd how are the children?鈥� The expected response: All the children are well.

Putting the Mind in 鈥楢 New York State of Mind鈥�

When I caught up with Janna Rodriguez of the , she had just come from a Capitol Hill meeting with the staff of Senator Chuck Schumer. Although she was disappointed to learn that Congress wouldn鈥檛 be increasing funds for early education through budget reconciliation, she remained focused on the positive. 鈥淚t didn鈥檛 get done right now,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 a topic of conversation. That will make it easier the next time around.鈥�

Born in the Dominican Republic, Rodriguez grew up in a single-parent household and was the first in her family to attend college. Today she is an entrepreneur. As owner of Innovative Daycare Corp in Freeport, New York, she strives to serve families with similar backgrounds in a 鈥渟pace that inspires children.鈥�

For Rodriguez, it鈥檚 a fundamentally American principle: If we want children from diverse backgrounds to grow up and become entrepreneurs and business leaders, we can鈥檛 wait until kindergarten to start their education. 鈥淶ero to five is when it all starts,鈥� she asserted. Furthermore, child care holds the key to other pivotal issues that affect the whole country鈥攊mmigration, housing and workforce鈥攖o name just a few.

This year鈥檚 federal budget isn鈥檛 Rodriguez鈥檚 main focus. She鈥檚 in this for the long haul. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be so proud in 20 years,鈥� she promised. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I wake up with a smile on my face.鈥�

Being Undeniable in Virginia

鈥淥ur mission is to ensure that the people who can least afford child care have one choice: the best,鈥� said J. Glenn Hopkins, who has led Northern Virginia鈥檚 since 1991, (He is unrelated to the nonprofit鈥檚 namesake, physician .) While the region that Hopkins House serves is, for the most part, wealthy, progressive and educated, there are a number of families lower on the economic ladder, and the organization鈥檚 three preschool academies educate young children as young as six weeks old from these families. Collaborating with colleges and research institutions keeps its educators on the leading edge of the field.

Hopkins is a member of the (VPP) Provider Advisory. Launched in December 2020, VPP centers the voices of providers and parents as they work to secure quality, affordable child care for all Virginia families by 2030. Due in part to VPP鈥檚 leadership, the latest Virginia budget makes critical investments towards improving access, choice and quality, and sustaining the early care and education workforce.

Hopkins signed up to attend Child Care NEXT to stay abreast of the future of child care in the new political and economic environment. Advocacy figures heavily into the picture. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a big gap between what working parents can afford and what it costs to deliver quality,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where government support comes in.鈥� Hopkins is looking for new approaches to educating the public and pressuring Congress.

Reflecting on his own trajectory, Hopkins recalled his father, who never went to college, pushing him to apply to Ivy League institutions. 鈥淗e鈥檇 say to me, 鈥榊ou have to have options,鈥� and later in life I鈥檝e come to understand better what he meant.鈥� (Hopkins attended Columbia University.) 鈥淥ur preschool academies seek to nurture the best in our young scholars: be so good no one can deny you.鈥�

Bipartisan Support in Oregon

Voices like Marchel Marcos鈥檚 are often left out of conversations that take place at conferences like Child Care NEXT, but because the Alliance sprang for child care, Marchel was able to bring her six-year-old, Kenji. A single mother and survivor of domestic violence, Marcos now serves as political director for (APANO). She noted that summer, when school is closed, is the hardest time to find someone to watch the children. 鈥淭hat fact that Kenji and I are here,鈥� she said, 鈥渟hows that the Alliance affirms and validates my experience.鈥�

Courtney Helstein of and Dana Hepper of were also part of , the state鈥檚 delegation at Child Care NEXT. Before we spoke, they had met with staffs of Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley. According to Helstein, bipartisan support is vital to achieving anything in their state. Representative Suzanne Bonamici . The imminent retirement of state representatives Karin Power (D) and Jack Zika (R) poses new challenges.

. Hepper also described the state鈥檚 newly formed Department of Early Learning and Care and as major accomplishments. Changes to the subsidy program鈥攊ncluding lower copays, expanded eligibility, inclusion of undocumented kids, and payments made according to enrollment rather than attendance () 鈥� make the state鈥檚 program more equitable.

In Colorado, Advocacy Runs in the Family

Like Oregon, Colorado recently launched a state-level . Lorena Garcia and Melissa Mares are seizing this opportunity to push for sweeping change, co-leading Colorado鈥檚 coalition, which is called Growing Our Future: Cultivating Caregiving Communities. Garcia is executive director of , which her father originally founded. (Her mother was the founding executive director of another group, 鈥� Engaging Latino Parents to Advance Student Outcomes.) Like her parents, Garcia advocates for funding and policies to make education work for all families in her state.

According to Garcia, the pandemic has contributed to an awakening that school readiness efforts must reach as early as possible into children鈥檚 lives. 鈥淢y dad always said, 鈥楰indergarten is too late鈥�,鈥� she told me. There鈥檚 also been an overdue recognition of the role that family, friend and neighbor (FFN) care plays in the lives of children. 鈥淥n one hand, status quo stakeholders say they want to close the achievement gap,鈥� Garcia said. 鈥淥n the other, they鈥檙e saying FFN 鈥� where 50% of the children are learning and more than 50% of providers work 鈥� is unsafe.鈥�

Child Care NEXT鈥檚 approach to change resonates for Garcia because it emphasizes how families directly affected by poverty and racism can and do win policy victories.

Mares, director of Early Childhood Initiatives at the , previously taught kindergarten at a Spanish immersion school in Eugene, Ore. 鈥淚 came to see my job,鈥� she told me, 鈥渘ot as training my students to be successful, compliant adults but as fiercely defending childhood. Let them be kids.鈥�

For a long time, Mares was going against the grain, but researchers and experts are increasingly recognizing that without self-regulation and other social emotional skills, academic learning just doesn鈥檛 happen.

Mares鈥� experience teaching young children also left her with a bad taste in her mouth about how society perceived her work. 鈥淧eople would always talk about how cute kids are, as if that鈥攔ather than a living wage鈥攕hould be the most rewarding aspect of the job. As if it made sense that women would be in a job like that. The disrespect of female labor is deeply entrenched.鈥�

鈥淎nd you know what?鈥� she told me. 鈥淭he work of caregiving is critically important. And the kids weren鈥檛 always cute.鈥�

A Winning Streak in New Mexico

Shortly after Child Care NEXT, I Zoomed with Matthew Henderson, executive director, , part of the New Mexico coalition. Last year, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a plan to make New Mexico the first state in the country to offer free child care to nearly all families. (.) Henderson calls it a bold move from the governor, and says it follows a related victory 鈥� formation of the state鈥檚 . Next up: enshrining a dedicated funding source for early childhood programs. A broad network of allies has begun canvassing for the amendment, which will be put to voters in November.

Yet much remains to be done in the Land of Enchantment, says Henderson. Enrollment in Lujan Grisham鈥檚 plan is falling short, and the state has lost nearly a thousand early educators since the start of the pandemic. 鈥淚t鈥檚 no wonder that there isn鈥檛 enough child care to meet the demand when there鈥檚 no job that pays less,鈥� he says.

鈥淧roviders are telling us, 鈥榃e went to college for this. We have debt. We鈥檙e tired of juggling bills and having the power turned off.鈥� Some are leaving the sector for public schools. Some are leaving it for fast food jobs.鈥�

He adds, 鈥淲e need to put an end to this racist system that depends on paying BIPOC women poverty wages.鈥�

The energy coming out of Child Care NEXT encourages Henderson, as do demonstrations like the this past May.  “You’ll see early educators and parents returning to the streets soon,鈥� he says, 鈥� until policy makers are committed to change.”

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