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?
I was initially drawn to the early childhood space because I have always enjoyed working with children and witnessing their curiosity, joy, and incredible capacity for learning. As I studied education more extensively in college, I came to understand the critical role that a child’s earliest years play in shaping their lifelong learning and development. When children do not have access to the resources, support, and high-quality learning experiences they need, they unfortunately may begin their educational journey at a disadvantage.
I also came to recognize that public perceptions of early childhood education often do not reflect its significance. The United States does not have a comprehensive public early care and education system, as it does for K-12 education. This represents a significant gap in our educational landscape, with lasting implications for children, families, and communities. Though it is sometimes overlooked, I remain excited by the opportunity to contribute to a field that has such profound impact.
What projects have you been working on at your host organization, and what have you learned from working on these projects?
My work has focused on supporting The Department of Early Education and Care’s (EEC) research and data analysis functions. I support the agency’s research partnerships by working with external research organizations to expand the agency’s research capacity. So far, I have focused on areas such as the cost of child care and the state’s child care supply. Through this work, I have seen the value of research-practice partnerships and the importance of gathering perspectives from disparate voices, both within and outside of the agency.
I also contribute to the agency’s data briefs on specific topics, such as the state’s C3 Grants and the capital improvement grants. The process of developing these briefs has been very collaborative and has highlighted how many thoughtful decisions go into presenting data in a clear and objective way. This work has strengthened my ability to translate data into accessible formats, an essential responsibility for a government agency committed to transparency and accountability.
Another key area of my work has been collecting, synthesizing, and reporting on early childhood research each month to share with agency leadership. It’s exciting to contribute to the agency’s awareness of high-quality research and witness research- and data-informed governance first-hand.
How has your relationship with your host supervisor impacted what you’ve learned?
It has been wonderful to work so closely with and learn from my supervisor, Ashley White, EEC’s Director of Research. Much of my work is collaborative, and it is consistently strengthened by the perspective, expertise, and thoughtful feedback she provides. Through our work together, I have been able to refine my writing skills to align with the style and standards of government communications, and I have strengthened my ability to identify meaningful and impactful opportunities for data analysis.
As this is my first experience working in government, I have learned a great deal about how the department operates, how decisions are made, and the history of the agency and its initiatives. Ashley has been invaluable in helping me understand all these aspects of the work, as she has provided context and insight that I could not have gained from just reading documents.
What are some of the persistent challenges that you’ve seen in Massachusetts’ early childhood system?
Wages for early childhood educators, while higher than they have been in the recent past, remain persistently low in a state where the cost of living is very high. At the same time, many families continue to struggle to find child care that meets their needs, whether because of cost, location, or type of care provided.
What are some emerging solutions that you’re seeing?
Looking closely at C3 grant program data has demonstrated to me the immense value of the program. C3 funds help child care providers with operating costs, increasing educator wages, and making child care more affordable for families. Massachusetts stands out for offering a statewide, non-competitive operational grant program, and it has been exciting to see it serve as a model for other states.
I am also encouraged by the state’s efforts to strengthen the early education career pipeline through student loan forgiveness and programs like Career Pathways, which provides dedicated guidance and financial support to help educators advance in their careers.
What are some long-term solutions that should be enacted?
Sustained public investment in the state’s child care system, including support for both providers and families, is essential to achieving long-term improvements. Making greater resources available for individuals pursuing a career in early education—through expanded incentives, scholarships, and navigation support—would also strengthen the early childhood system.
There must also be continued efforts to ensure broader recognition that caring for and educating young children is essential to a community’s prosperity and should be a public good.
What has been surprising in your time as a fellow?
One of the biggest surprises has been learning just how many different approaches there are to advancing early childhood policy. I have had the opportunity to meet researchers, advocates, practitioners, and policymakers all working to make progress in early education. I have been exposed to work in this field focused on child care financing, family engagement, child health, educator well-being, workforce development, housing support, etc. So many subjects overlap with early childhood, and it’s been heartening to see so many dedicated, smart people with different areas of expertise working in this field.
What advice would you give to young professionals who are interested in early childhood policy?
I have found that there is not necessarily one, straightforward path to a career in early childhood policy, so I would encourage being open to diverse opportunities within or adjacent to this field. There are so many different ways to be involved with policy!
As in any career, networking is also important. It is the best way to learn about what jobs exist, form a better understanding of the type of work you might like to do, meet people in field, and potentially discover new opportunities.
Also, working in government is cool! There can be many different perceptions of what it’s like to work in government, but I think it provides a very valuable opportunity to be close to a community’s policy development and implementation processes, and to contribute to work with direct, meaningful impact on families.