The American early childhood education system relies on a workforce of educators who are predominantly women, and often women of color. The Early Childhood Workforce Index published by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment shares data revealing a racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse population of early educators, demonstrating the importance of elevating early educators' perspectives.

A long history of systemic inequities has led to low compensation and a lack of respect for the profession — and the voices of early educators have been largely excluded from policy decisions that shape the sector. Including the perspectives of these professionals in coverage about the developing minds of young children represents one step toward rectifying persistent injustices. Moreover, their stories can inform efforts to retain talent and to improve systems serving families with young children. The stories highlighted below feature the perspectives of center- and home-based teachers and leaders on issues that matter to them.

Tiffany Jones of Rockville, Maryland, describes the training she underwent before opening Precious Moments Family Childcare — and the administrative hoops she had to jump through in order to secure federal funding during the pandemic.

Tiffany Gale, proprietor of Miss Tiffany’s Early Childhood Education House in Weirton, West Virginia, shares why she’s become an active advocate for paid leave. “It makes sense for the workers, for the employers and for businesses like mine because, after all, I’m a business, too,” she explains, emphasizing how paid leave proposals might make her child care business financially viable.

In this feature about how the nonprofit All Our Kin supports child care entrepreneurs, Shanette Linton, who runs Little Leaders Group Family Daycare in the Bronx, contemplates the dearth of public investment in early education, saying, “You have to love what you do, but then, at some point, you have to think about, ‘Does this make sense?’”

A look at faith-based child care activism in Minnesota spotlighted the perspective of Celeste Finn, director of Big Wonder Child Care in St. Paul: “If you want to make an impact on children’s lives, you need to work with them when they’re younger. That’s when the prefrontal cortex is developing and when their values and biases are developing — which is why child care deserves funding,” she says, adding: “It’s an essential public service.”

Read the full article about early educators' perspectives by Mark Swartz at The 74.