4 Questions Every State Should Ask Before Changing Child Care Training Requirements
44 states are rewriting child care training rules. Not one is asking whether the current hours produced better care.
Writing
Essays and reflections on child care systems, family support, and public-interest design.
5 Data Gaps That Leave States Unable to Defend Their Child Care Spending
The federal government just told states to prove their child care spending is legitimate. Most can't — because the data layer was never built.
When Credentials Replace Care
We built a credentialing system because we couldn't price care directly. Now AI is about to ask the same question of everyone else.
The Camera-Off Problem
We count training hours. We don't count whether anyone learned anything. What does that mean for the programs we fund?
The Gap Between Knowing and Doing
A gorilla signs 'sad' when her cat dies. A room full of professionals nods along to a strategy they'll never implement. The gap between knowing and doing is the quiet crisis nobody talks about.
How a Dashboard Grows Nuance
Every conversation adds nuance. Every data source adds a layer. The SF Child Care Dashboard didn't start as a plan — it grew the way understanding grows: one ZIP code, one committee question, one 'that's not in the data' at a time.
The Invisible Work Behind What Looks Easy
The smoother the outcome, the more invisible the work becomes. That's true for childcare providers, housekeepers, politicians — and anyone building with AI tools.
The Same Question, Eight Years Later
In 2018, I asked CPAC why we were expanding capacity without verifying existing vacancies. In 2026, a supervisor asked the same question. The system still hasn't answered it.
Midnight Advocacy
When you're part of a small nonprofit, the work doesn't end at 5pm. Last night we used AI as a research assistant to craft more precise, more human outreach to district supervisors.
The Best Birthday Gift
In our advocacy community, the best birthday gifts aren't personal — they're moments when the system moves. Two stories about what it means to celebrate something bigger than yourself.
Personal Guardrails in Advocacy
I advocate by clarifying facts and trade-offs, and I respect people enough to let them choose. Advocacy is less like steering the wheel for someone, and more like laying out a map.
After the AECEA Retreat: Rethinking Leadership, Care, and Sustainability
Leadership doesn't start with a credential — it begins when someone notices a problem they care deeply about and realizes it's not being addressed in a way that feels right.
When Care Is Taken for Granted (and Why That's Not a Moral Failing)
Care should not survive on exhaustion. Generosity should not require self-erasure. And community should not depend on a few people quietly carrying the weight for everyone else.
Holding Accountability and Stability in Child Care
Accountability and care are not opposites. Good governance requires both — and in child care, even small administrative delays can create outsized stress.
From Curiosity to Creation: My Journey to Building Something Real
It all started with a bit of curiosity and a willingness to dive into the unknown — and ended with a real, working ECE dashboard I'm proud to share.
Speaking Up Without Losing the Peace
Clarity delivered with care doesn't break peace—it creates it.
AI Won’t Replace Care—But It Might Replace Some Stress
The future of AI in child care is not replacement—it's relief from structural stress.
The Real Barrier Isn’t Data—It’s Interpretation
Data isn't the problem—our conflicting interpretations and assumptions are.
When Systems Need Doctors
In ECE advocacy, everyone brings their own truth to the table. The challenge isn't finding who's right — it's staying in the room long enough to see the whole picture together.
When Systems Forget People, People Disappear From the Story
Belonging is not an emotion—it's a design principle embedded in how systems treat people.
Why Families Stay Engaged Longer in K–12 Than in Child Care
Parents stay engaged in K–12 not because they care more, but because the system gives them more time and structure to belong.
A New Civic Duty: Your Voice in Shaping Child Care
If providers don't report their vacancies, policymakers can't see the full picture — and the decisions they make won't reflect reality. Updating your openings isn't paperwork. It's advocacy.
What Childcare Providers Make
A powerful story shared by Amy Jacobs at the NAFCC Conference about the true value of childcare providers
The Night We Voted on Prop C
Forty-three people on a Zoom call. Three choices. One question underneath it all: how do you hold a community together when the options are all imperfect?
Why I Translate the Chat
When forty providers are in a meeting and the materials only come in English, the system is telling one-third of the room they don't fully belong. Translation isn't a courtesy — it's infrastructure.
When the Dashboard Disappeared
When the enrollment dashboard went dark in 2020, decisions kept being made — just without the community seeing the numbers. Snapshots aren't enough. Systems need shared visibility.
The White Scarf Story
I shared an article on CAEYC about how family child care providers became visible at the policy table — and how you don't need to be a leader to have a voice.