Episodes

  • Child Care Providers Are Not Invisible

    Child Care Providers Are Not Invisible
    Oct 24 2022
    In this episode we speak with Kristi Snyder, of Christiansburg, VA who serves on our Provider Advisory, and Monica Jackson, of Springfield VA who is an active member of our Promise Advocate community - they are both two child care providers who are passionate about early learning and care. They each operate two very different settings - Kristi owns three centers, Monica is a family day home provider. We talk about the importance of quality, the connection with their families, and how the child care stabilization funds and other support was critical for them during the pandemic.
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    28 mins
  • Talking All Things Advocacy with Save The Children Action Network

    Talking All Things Advocacy with Save The Children Action Network
    Sep 10 2022
    In this episode I speak with Austin Walker, Virginia State Manager for SCAN. Austin has a Master's in Social Work, and brings her expertise and energy to Virginia. She talks more about SCAN’s mission, why its important to support our bold goal, and the importance of Get Out The Vote work.
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    20 mins
  • Virginia Legislators Talk the Future of Child Care

    Virginia Legislators Talk the Future of Child Care
    Jul 22 2022
    In this episode, we hear from two legislators who were selected as inaugural 2022 Child Care Champions of the Year by Virginia Promise in Action. Delegate Carrie Coyner - a Republican legislator representing Chesterfield, VA who serves as Chair of the House Education's Subcommittee on Early Childhood/Innovation, and Senator Monty Mason, a Democratic legislator representing Williamsburg and a long standing supporter of child care in his community and in the General Assembly. The legislators discuss their vision for education in Virginia, the work that they have done to promote early learning and care, and share advice on how we can best advocate for child care.
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    27 mins
  • We Are Not Done Yet: The Quest for Federal Child Care Dollars

    We Are Not Done Yet: The Quest for Federal Child Care Dollars
    Jun 28 2022
    In this episode, we hear from Radha Mohan, with one of the VPP Coalition Partners, the Early Care and Education Consortium. Child care policy has been front and center not only in Virginia, but also at the federal level. During this episode, we will discuss the status of the federal reconciliation bill and how that would impact child care in Virginia.
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    25 mins
  • Child Care at the Local Level

    Child Care at the Local Level
    Jun 1 2022

    In this episode, we hear from Katie Cristol, Chair of the Arlington County Board, who is a Democrat, and Preston Banks, Vice Mayor, City of Manassas Park, who is a Republican, about their paths to local office, and their thoughts on the impact that local elected officials can make towards quality, affordable child care.


    There are so many ways that we strengthen our early learning system, advocacy is one way, but why not BE the person who is writing the laws and policies? Think about it… 

    We hope this episode will at least get you to think about yourself at the dais, with the gavel, making important decisions for your community, and moving child care forward.
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    24 mins
  • Child Care and It's Impact on Our Business Community

    Child Care and It's Impact on Our Business Community
    Apr 21 2022
    In this episode, we hear from Erik Rison, Vice President of Public Policy and Research for the Virginia Chamber. Erik talks about why child care is such an important topic for the business community, and the importance of being realistic in our approach as we reach for the bold goal.
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    17 mins
  • Making Cents of It All: An Update on the Virginia Budget

    Making Cents of It All: An Update on the Virginia Budget
    Apr 1 2022
    In this episode, we will receive an update on the Virginia budget from Chris Wodicka, Senior Policy Analyst at the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis. Chris provided insight into The Commonwealth Institute’s budget priorities, what’s next for the budget in Virginia, and key early learning provisions in the budget.
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    19 mins
  • The Impact of Virginia's Redistricting on Early Learning

    The Impact of Virginia's Redistricting on Early Learning
    Mar 14 2022
    In this episode, we will learn more about redistricting in Virginia from Dr. Alex Keena, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Virginia Commonwealth University who researches political representation. Alex provides an overview of how redistricting impacts policy, how the nonpartisan redistricting commission in Virginia worked, and how advocates can be effective moving forward.
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    27 mins