“At the end of 2023, we visited Michigan, Massachusetts, Vermont, Oregon, and New Mexico, speaking with child care teachers, providers, advocates, organizers, business leaders, and other experts to learn how they got to where they are now.â€
“In Massachusetts, the state is replacing federal relief dollars to avoid the child care cliff, and localities are expanding pre-K.â€
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“Advocates in Massachusetts created a simple tool that kept everyone in the early childhood community on the same page throughout and since the pandemic: the 9:30 call.
“In March 2020, advocates started holding an open Zoom meeting with the same link every day, five days a week, to share challenges, ask questions, and tell decision-makers how policies were playing out. The call outlasted the pandemic as a way to coordinate efforts and connect early childhood professionals across the state with experts and elected officials.
“ ‘It has changed the way we do everything,’ said Amy O’Leary, executive director of Strategies for Children, a nonprofit. ‘I call it unfiltered advocacy.’
“More than 1,400 people have joined the calls, with a daily attendance of 75 to 100. The call has helped a broader geographic representation be involved in creating a statewide Early Childhood Agenda. Now other leaders are looking at the tool as a case study for building community virtually.â€
— “North Carolina once led the way in early childhood policy and investment. Five other states are showing us how to do it again.†by Katie Dukes and Liz Bell, EdNC, January 24, 2024