Hi there! I’m excited to be again at Hechinger after spending the previous tutorial 12 months as a Spencer Fellow on the Columbia Journalism Faculty. This previous 12 months was eye-opening and invigorating. I spent the majority of my time researching and reporting a baby care coverage investigation, which can be revealed this fall. I additionally hung out digging into baby care high quality and methods, together with visits across the nation and to Scandinavia.
Some highlights:
- In November, I visited Birmingham, Alabama, with the nonprofit Small Magic, to study native efforts to enhance staff-to-child interactions in baby care applications. This go to would be the topic of one in all my subsequent newsletters.
- In February, I spent an abnormally heat few days in Des Moines, Iowa, to discern the wants of suppliers amidst debate over controversial baby care laws that might permit teen baby care workers to work unsupervised. This baby care coverage investigation will publish later this 12 months.
- In what has been a spotlight of my reporting profession, I spent per week in April visiting baby care applications in Oslo, Norway. These outdoor-focused, play-based applications are organized round a Norwegian legislation that requires that baby care applications “acknowledge the intrinsic worth of childhood” and “contribute to well-being and pleasure.” I can’t wait to share that story with you, which is able to publish this fall with the Christian Science Monitor.
- Lastly, this spring, two moms in New York Metropolis confirmed me how stringent and rigid baby care subsidy guidelines have an effect on households. That story can be revealed later this 12 months as nicely.
As I end up these fellowship tales, I’ve an extended listing of further early childhood tales I’m leaping into, together with a take a look at kindergarten readiness, entry to subject journeys and enrichment for elementary college students and deep dives into particular features of kid care high quality. I’ll be keeping track of the implications of the election and coverage proposals from each events. I additionally wish to know what you want to see from me throughout the subsequent 12 months. Please be at liberty to answer right here—it’ll go on to my inbox—to share any ideas or story concepts.
Lastly, I’d like to increase an enormous thanks to my colleagues Ariel Gilreath and Sarah Carr for the considerate, detailed early ed tales they revealed whereas I used to be gone, in addition to for the help of Hechinger’s editors, which allowed me to benefit from this distinctive alternative. I look ahead to listening to from you, our readers, and thanks, as at all times, for following our work!
This story about baby care coverage was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, impartial information group targeted on inequality and innovation in schooling. Join the Hechinger publication.
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