1,800 Days: The Story of Early Childhood in the U.S.

In this episode, we’ll look at how the inequities in the childcare system appear in two different situations in Chicago. We’ll look at the importance of the first years of life through the lens of the pandemic’s psychological toll on young children. Finally, we’ll discuss some of the informal structures that have developed due to the childcare gap.

Over the course of the previous episodes, we’ve taken a look at the history of early childhood education, from its early beginnings to how the field has changed over time. In this episode, we’ll learn more about the most recent developments in the field, including bilingual and ESL programs. We’ll learn more about continuing research in brain science and social emotional learning. Finally, we’ll take a glimpse at the future of the field of early childhood care and education, including action steps to alleviate some of the most pervasive, systemic issues underlying the industry.

In the 1980s and 1990s, women joined the workforce in droves, creating a larger need for childcare at a time when options varied widely in quality and availability. Along with Head Start, there were private preschools, childcare programs and traditional nursery schools, mostly held in churches or community centers. There was also more acknowledgement of the long-term effects of childcare and preschool on academics and social behavior through more expansive research and longitudinal studies. In this episode, we’ll explore the perceived impact of having children participate in early childhood education programs and the best strategy to maximize those benefits.

The creation of the Head Start program was a turning point for early childhood care and education in the U.S.. It was a national effort that promoted childhood development services for children in communities with limited resources, with the goal of improving social, emotional, cognitive and physical development. In this episode, we’ll hear about how and why Head Start was created. We’ll hear from opposing perspectives and the initial pushback against the program. Finally, we’ll hear about the long-term ramifications of the program, and a touching teacher/student story that illustrates Head Start's impact on individual children.

Childcare in America has been disproportionately provided by women of color. Since the first enslaved people arrived in 1619, women of color have been tasked with caring for the children of the affluent. Even after emancipation, indeed to the present day, the childcare sector has been dominated by women of color. In this episode we trace the development of the childcare industry in the United States from the days of slavery leading up to the creation of Head Start. We’ll ask how popular culture helped to perpetuate the image of the woman of color providing childcare and how community values influenced early childhood education over time.