This is a series featuring the Early Childhood Policy Pathway Fellows and their experiences in their 20-month fellowship positions. To learn more about the Fellowship, visit our website.
What drew you to work in early childhood?
All my life, I’ve loved working with children, and I’ve worked with them at different stages, from two to ten years old.
I saw that at the elementary school level there were so many missed opportunities to work not only with children but also with their families and support systems. I grew curious about how to capitalize on these moments of opportunity earlier in children’s lives.
When I started exploring early childhood work, I realized that this was where all these missed opportunities could be addressed by helping the workforce, families, and children. And early childhood is not just an intersection of populations, it also impacts economic stability, public health, and equity.
What projects have you been working on at your host organization, and what have you learned from working on these projects?
I’ve worked on a variety of projects. I organize and host the working groups and info sessions that EEC hosts. I also organize EEC’s bi-monthly newsletter, which I have loved. It’s a clear and simple place to receive updates about things EEC is doing. I also absolutely adore the shout outs and celebrations section. Reading the submissions is always such a joy!
Through this work, I’ve learned how to communicate messages to different audiences, and my position in the department has given me a perspective on all aspects of the system. I also stay grounded in educators’ experience through my focus on the EEC working groups.
Because I come from a direct service role, I was not in touch with what was going on at the government level. Seeing this level has given me perspective and encouraged me to share what’s happening very clearly to educators through the newsletter.
“My role at EEC revolves around external
engagement and policy, making sure that folks
are involved in the work that EEC does.”
— Rejina Tabay, Pathways Fellow
How has your relationship with your host supervisor impacted what you’ve learned?
My host supervisor, Eugenia Soiles, EEC’s Chief of Strategic Partnerships, is amazing! She’s knowledgeable and her approach is so thoughtful and human-centered. After graduate school, I wanted to work at a systems level, but I worried about losing touch with children and families. Eugenia showed me that systems-level work needs to be informed by direct service work, and that my original desire to work in both worlds should be the norm. Now, I’m focused on being strategic in making the system work for the people it affects and communicating how this can be done.
In your work as a Fellow, what are some of the persistent challenges you’ve seen in the early childhood system in Massachusetts?
I think the most pressing issues in early childhood are around the workforce and family access. And these challenges are a bit of a feedback loop. The difficulty in retention and recruitment often creates issues of access due to the small workforce. Another loop: making child care affordable can be the cause of low wages for educators.
What are some emerging solutions that you’re seeing?
Giving the ECE workforce access to education opportunities, such as Career Pathways, the ECE Scholarship, and ECE Loan Repayment. We have apprenticeship opportunities that help young people and folks looking to transition into the field. And we’ve been seeking creative ways to increase access, such as the Family Child Care (FCC) Capacity Pilot, which is increasing the maximum number of children in an FCC program, from ten to twelve.
What long-term solutions are needed?
Over the long term, we need to make clear and accessible pathways that provide benefits and wages for folks who want to join the ECE workforce. We need to emphasize that early childhood is not just an education issue. It’s an issue that touches so many others.
What advice would you give to young professionals who are interested in early childhood policy?
I’d encourage young professionals to start reaching out to folks in early childhood! It really is a small world, and once you get connected to one person, it’s so easy to meet other folks and get integrated into this space. As a growing and innovative education field, there’s a great opportunity to advocate and build a system that makes sense for all educators, families, and children. This space is open to creative and innovative solutions, which is so amazing for young professionals. Early childhood is one of the most exciting fields!
wow what a great read on a monday morning