The Early Care and Education Workforce and COVID-19: Why They Must Be Part of Policy Change

Session Type: Conversation Roundtable

Abstract

The nation is facing an unprecedented pandemic with COVID-19. Lives lost, families torn apart, businesses and schools closed, and months of isolation enveloped the country. However, while few things remain constant throughout the pandemic, one constant is the imperative to support young children’s learning. Whether it be in person, from a kitchen table with a parent, or in the basement of a neighbor’s house, young children must continue to learn. This session will focus on the different ways the pandemic has affected children, families, and the early care and education (ECE) workforce throughout the country.

Dr. Gaby Barajas-Gonzalez will focus on the disproportionate effects of the pandemic on Latinx children/ families. Dr. Juliet Bromer will discuss the indispensable role that regulated family child care (FCC) providers are currently playing in this pandemic, and the role the pandemic is playing in their lives. Dr. Lea Austin will bring to the table data tracking federal, state, and local ECE policies throughout the pandemic, and the specific impact of opening up child care post-pandemic in California. Dr, .Vanessa Rodriguez will discuss the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and racial violence, highlighting the intersection between physical/mental health and structural racism on teachers and students.

The panelists chosen for this session have varying backgrounds and research interests but come together on one common goal: navigating this pandemic for children and the ECE workforce. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Mark Nagasawa, Director of the Straus Center for Young Children and Families at Bank Street College.

Sub Unit

• Solicited Content: COVID-19 Related

Moderator

• Mark Nagasawa, Bank Street College of Education

Panelists

• R. Gabriela Barajas-Gonzalez, New York University School of Medicine

• Juliet Sara Bromer, Erikson Institute

• Lea Austin, University of California - Berkeley

• Vanessa Rodriguez, NYU Grossman School of Medicine