Child Care Matters: Built to Break

Poor child care costs America over $172 billion dollars a year. What can we do about it? In the final episode of Child Care Matters: Built to Break we look back across the series to try and answer this question. We look through all of the interviews we’ve done and try to find stands of hope and progress. In this episode, we cover the highlights of the series, from the structural bureaucracy of the system-of-non-systems, and we look at the physical toll that child care takes on providers. We also look at what’s working in the child care system, what states are getting right, and which issues we can start addressing today. In this episode:Sabina Andersson — Colorado Department of Early ChildhoodRep. Kate Farrar — Connecticut State RepresentativeSarah Rittling — Executive Director, First Five Years FundErica Phillips - Executive Director of The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) Benu Chhabra — Early childhood educator and advocateWendy Doyle — President & CEO of United WE. Simon Workman — Co-founder & Principal, Prenatal to Five Fiscal StrategiesSonja Castañeda-Cudney — Parent (Los Angeles)Child Care Matters: Built to Break examines America's early childhood system from theperspectives of parents, providers, and experts, one piece of the puzzle at a time. If thisepisode resonated with you, share it with someone navigating the child care system right now,and follow the show so you don't miss what comes next. For more information, go togetbridgecare.com.

In Episode 6 of Child Care Matters Built to Break, our host Jamee Herbert looks at one of the most complex questions in early childhood education. What does quality child care look like, and how do we define it?In this episode, we examine why the concept of “quality child care” is so contested in ECE in America. We also investigate how it’s defined, measured and rated in the US, and why even well-intentioned quality rating systems can create unintended consequences for child care providers.In this episode:Sonja Castañeda-Cudney — Parent (Los Angeles)Sarah Rittling — Executive Director, First Five Years FundWendy Doyle — President & CEO of United WE.Keller-Anne Ruble — Solutions Architect, BridgeCareSimon Workman — Co-founder & Principal, Prenatal to Five Fiscal StrategiesErica Phillips - Executive Director of The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)Child Care Matters: Built to Break examines America’s early childhood system from the perspectives of parents, providers, and experts, one piece of the puzzle at a time. If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone navigating child care or working to improve it in their community, and follow the show so you don’t miss the next chapter of the series. For more information, go to getbridgecare.com.

In Episode 4 of Child Care Matters: Built to Break, host Jamee Herbert, CEO of BridgeCare, examines how policy and legislation impact our child care system. We look at the history of federal child care policy efforts and how a lack of a strategic and holistic approach to legislation has helped contribute to the broken child care system we have today. You’ll also hear how well-intentioned policies can create unintended consequences for families and providers, and how disjointed regulations can make it harder for child care providers to do their jobs. We showcase one state that’s finding a way to improve the lives of families, and through well-planned child care policy and legislation, is making a difference for its residents. In this episode:Rep. Kate Farrar — Connecticut State RepresentativeErica Phillips — Executive Director, National Association for Family Child CareSarah Rittling — Executive Director, First Five Years FundChild Care Matters: Built to Break examines America’s early childhood system from the perspectives of parents, providers, and experts, one piece of the puzzle at a time. If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone working to improve child care in their community, and follow the show so you don’t miss the next chapter of the series. For more information, go to getbridgecare.com.

Many child care providers are struggling to make ends meet, but they can’t pass costs onto families, knowing parents simply can’t afford more. That raises the question: who really pays for child care, and how does the money flow through the system?In Episode 2 of Child Care Matters: Built to Break, host Jamee Herbert, CEO of BridgeCare, follows the money through our early education system, from the complex mix of local, state, and federal funding streams to hopeful innovations being piloted.You’ll hear why the market rate for child care doesn’t actually reflect what quality care costs, and how that gap creates a dynamic that is unaffordable for families and unsustainable for providers. This isn’t just a confusing funding model, it’s one that keeps forcing parents and providers to absorb the cost of a system that isn’t sustainable. And if nothing changes, more programs will close, leaving families with even fewer options.In this episode: Simon Workman — Co-founder & Principal, Prenatal to Five Fiscal StrategiesErica Phillips - Executive Director of The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) Benu Chhabra - CEO of Benu’s Preschool Child Care Matters: Built to Break examines America’s early childhood system from the perspectives of parents, providers, and experts, one piece of the puzzle at a time. If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who’s navigating child care right now, and follow the show so you don’t miss the next chapter of the series. For more information go to getbridgecare.com.

Why is it so hard to find high-quality, affordable child care in the United States? And what would it take to fix it? Child Care Matters: Built to Break is a new narrative podcast from BridgeCare that shines a light on America’s early education system and what it will take to rebuild it. Across eight episodes, host and CEO of BridgeCare, Jamee Herbert, speaks with industry experts, parents, and providers to unpack how this system of systems has reached a breaking point. From outdated regulations and workforce shortages to funding gaps and technology barriers, each episode explores a piece of a system that touches nearly every family, yet remains deeply misunderstood. We’ll move from what’s broken to what’s possible, spotlighting the people and ideas driving real change.