Reporter reflects on experiences covering—and living—early childhood education

In August 2019, a journalist began reporting on early childhood education by visiting an early learning center in Philadelphia. Previously focused on K-12 and higher education, she entered the field with little prior knowledge about child care or early childhood development.

She described how EdSurge secured grant funding to expand its coverage of early childhood education, allowing her to travel across the United States. She visited programs in various settings, including homes, schools, centers, and churches. Through these visits, she observed the challenges faced by families and educators due to underfunding in child care systems.

The journalist recounted experiences such as traveling to Utah to report on free online college courses for early childhood educators and visiting specialized preschools for children who had experienced trauma. She noted the contrast between writing about issues like brain development and experiencing them personally as a new parent.

After becoming pregnant in 2024, she began searching for child care in Denver before her child's birth. Despite her familiarity with the sector’s difficulties, she was surprised when multiple program directors informed her that there would likely be no available slot for her son until at least 2027 or 2028. This led her family to choose a nanny share arrangement.

Reflecting on motherhood, she discussed observing firsthand how close caregiver relationships benefit young children. She stated: "I’ve heard experts explain for years that close caregiver relationships are what a child needs most in the first year of life. But in recent months, I’ve come to see firsthand how much comfort and encouragement and joy mine and my husband’s presence provide our son."

She also addressed how personal experience might influence professional perspective: "I can’t say for certain that early childhood reporting has made me a better mom. Perhaps, in subtle ways, some kernels of knowledge have carried over. But I feel quite sure — at the very least hopeful — that motherhood will make me a more perceptive reporter, keenly aware of the stakes in early childhood and more empathetic to those the field touches."

This article marks her final contribution as senior reporter at EdSurge after publishing nearly 300 stories over seven years covering K-12 and early childhood education during periods of organizational change and broader shifts within journalism.

She concluded: "EdSurge will continue to cover early care and education after my time here is up. And in my next chapter as a journalist, so will I. I expect our paths will cross again and again."