Early Matters

Center on Child and Family Policy

Early Matters is the podcast of the Center on Child and Family Policy, exploring the science and policy of early childhood. Hosted by Dr. Katharine Stevens, the show features engaging, in-depth conversations with a diverse range of leading researchers, practitioners, and policy experts on what matters most to help young children and their families thrive.
The Center on Child and Family Policy (CCFP) is a non-partisan think tank based in Washington DC, dedicated to advancing science-driven policy that gives every child the strongest start possible. Visit our website at www.ccfp.org and join the conversation on Twitter: @_CCFP and @kbstevens.
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Top 10 Early Matters Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Early Matters episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Early Matters for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Early Matters episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Building a Roadmap for Prenatal-to-3 State Policy (with Cynthia Osborne)

Early Matters

10/25/23 • 52 min

Dr. Cynthia Osborne discusses the work of the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, which focuses on building the evidence base for effective state policies to improve outcomes for infants, toddlers, and their families.

Dr. Osborne explains the importance of the prenatal-to-three period in shaping children's development, and describes the rigorous process the Center uses to identify effective policies and strategies. She also discusses the just-released 2023 Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap, which lays out the most recent research on the best public investments states can make to impact child outcomes, and shows where each state is on the most effective policies and strategies.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center focuses on identifying effective state policies to improve the wellbeing of young children and their families.
The Center's eight policy goals address essential conditions for young children to flourish, including the emotional and physical wellbeing of both children and their parents, and families' financial stability.
The Center uses a rigorous process to evaluate the evidence for policies and strategies: considering the theory of change, the strength of the research, and the causal link between the policy and outcomes.
The Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap guides state leaders on the most effective investments to ensure all children can thrive from the start.

LINKS TO THE PRENATAL-TO-3 CENTER'S WORK

ABOUT THE GUEST

Dr. Cynthia Osborne is a professor at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College of Education and Human Development, and a nationally renowned researcher and expert on child and family policy. She is also the founder and executive director of the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, based at Vanderbilt: an academic research center that focuses on building the evidence base on the most effective state policies to improve the wellbeing of young children and their families.
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See the Center on Child and Family Policy's Work: www.ccfp.org
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Email the Show: [email protected].
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“The Brain Development Revolution”: Early Childhood and Public Policy (with Ross Thompson)

Early Matters

12/13/23 • 64 min

Ross Thompson, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of California, Davis joins Early Matters to discuss his decades of research in early development, and his new book, The Brain Development Revolution: Science, the Media, and Public Policy.

Professor Thompson explains current scientific understanding of developmental neuroscience and the insights it provides into early childhood brain development. He also describes findings from decades of behavioral research on children’s thinking, learning, reasoning, language, memory, and emotional development, and explains why integrating the science of brain and of mind is important to advancing understanding of early development.

He recounts his new book's fascinating exploration of how ongoing, highly-coordinated public messaging campaigns led to the dominance of brain science in early childhood policy debates over the past few decades, and highlights the distinction between science and values in shaping public policy. Finally, he emphasizes our moral obligation to support children’s well-being, calling for a focus on children as individuals rather than as future contributors to the economy.

Key Takeaways

Neuroscience and behavioral psychology provide complementary but distinct bodies of knowledge about early development. Integrating these two fields — the science of brain and of mind — is crucial to advancing understanding of early development.
Ongoing, sophisticated public messaging campaigns led to the current dominance of brain science in early childhood policy debates.
Although less well-known, decades of research from behavioral psychology have also yielded a wealth of crucial knowledge about children’s thinking, learning, reasoning, language, memory, and emotional development, actually predating the "brain development revolution."
We often fail to make a critical distinction between science and values in debating early childhood policy.
Adults have a moral obligation to children to promote their well-being, not because of children’s future contribution to economic productivity, but as an end in itself.

Relevant Work

The Brain Development Revolution: Science, the Media, and Public Policy

The Brain Development Revolution provides a fascinating, insightful account of how brain science came to dominate

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Capita’s Approach to Advancing Child and Family Flourishing (with Joe Waters)

Early Matters

11/22/23 • 35 min

Katharine Stevens is joined by Joe Waters, co-founder and CEO of Capita, to discuss Capita's origins and work to improve the lives of children and families. Waters emphasized the need for a holistic approach to early childhood policy that takes into account the cultural and social transformations impacting young children and their families. He argued that we should pursue a whole-of-government policy approach to child development and human flourishing, rather than a narrow focus on specific programs. Drawing on his background in Catholic social teaching, he also highlighted the importance of creating a more humane economy that prioritizes the well-being of children and families — one “that exists for the person, not the other way around.”
KEY TAKEAWAYS
*Capita is a think tank focused on exploring how cultural and social transformations impact young children and their families and to fostering new ideas and policies to build a future in which all children and families flourish.
*Joe Waters, Capita's CEO, emphasizes the importance of taking a holistic approach to early childhood policy and considering the broader context in which children and families live.
*He advocates for a whole-of-government policy that prioritizes the flourishing and well-being of young children and their families.
*Finally, he argues that rebuilding a more humane economy is crucial to enabling children, families, and communities to flourish.
ABOUT THE GUEST

Joe Waters is the co-founder and CEO of Capita, a think tank dedicated to exploring how the cultural and social transformations of our day affect young children and their families, and to fostering new ideas and policies to build a future in which all children and families flourish.
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Why Homemakers Matter (with Ivana Greco)

Early Matters

02/01/24 • 56 min

Summary
Katharine talks with Ivana Greco about her unusual path from successful, Harvard-educated attorney to full-time "stay-at-home mom," caring for her toddler and homeschooling her two young sons. Their conversation illuminates the often-overlooked societal importance and personal fulfillment of full-time parenting.

Key points include:

Why Ivana dislikes the term "stay-at-home mom" and thinks "homemaker" better characterizes that essential role.
The limitations of GDP in capturing the value of individual production and the false dichotomy between pro-GDP and pro-family positions.
Historical significance of the "housewife," and the critical role homemakers have long played in the economic and social fabric of a thriving society.
The technological and cultural forces that led to devaluation of work at home.
Policy solutions to better support homemakers, including reforms to Social Security and providing on-ramps back into the workforce.

Relevant Work

About the Guest

After graduating cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2011, Ivana Greco spent a decade working as a successful attorney, specializing in qualified retirement-plan advising and healthcare litigation. A couple of years ago, she left her paid employment to work as a full-time mother of her three children, caring for a toddler and homeschooling her two young sons. She is also a writer, publishing regularly on family policy and other issues that impact stay-at-home parents.

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Empowering Parents with Tech: How SC Revolutionized Access to Early Childhood Services (with Georgia Mjartan)

Early Matters

10/24/24 • 45 min

Georgia Mjartan joined Early Matters to highlight First Five SC, a pioneering, tech-driven solution transforming how parents in South Carolina access essential services for children under five. Developed by South Carolina First Steps under Georgia's leadership, First Five SC streamlines access to publicly funded services like healthcare, childcare, and nutritional support through an innovative, user-friendly website.

Before First Five SC, parents had to navigate a confusing and frustrating maze of government bureaucracy to get the help they needed. Now, the initiative provides a simple, centralized digital entry point, cutting through the red tape and putting families at the center of government services.

The impact has been remarkable. In its first year, over 137,000 families visited the platform, leading to more than 2,400 completed applications. First Five SC was also recognized for its success at the 27th Annual Webby Awards, an internationally respected honor for excellence on the internet.

Other states are taking note. With support from the newly launched First Five for All initiative, states like Nevada are adopting the model to better serve their communities. By making access to early childhood services more efficient, First Five SC is setting a new standard for how government can better support families.

About the Guest

Georgia Mjartan is the president and CEO of the Central Carolina Community Foundation. Previously, she served for seven years as executive director of South Carolina First Steps, ensuring that the state’s young children are prepared for school, healthy, and supported by their parents and community. Before joining First Steps, Georgia served for 12 years as executive director of Our House in Little Rock, Arkansas, an anti-poverty program empowering low-income and homeless families and individuals to succeed in the workforce, school, and life.

Georgia has been recognized for her work by Southern Living Magazine, which named her one of the 2016 “Southerners of the Year.” She has also been named “Nonprofit Executive of the Year,” “Arkansan of the Year,” and a “Woman of Influence” by business journals in Arkansas and South Carolina.

Relevant Links
South Carolina First Steps: https://www.scfirststeps.org
First 5 SC: https://first5sc.org
First Five for All: https://www.first5forall.org

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Child Care: What Parents Want — What Children Need (with Jenet Erickson)

Early Matters

05/09/24 • 47 min

Leading family researcher Jenet Erickson joined Early Matters to discuss the complex role of childcare in child, maternal, and family well-being. Erickson describes the evolving landscape of work and family life, with important shifts in both women’s and men’s roles within the home and the workforce.
She expresses concern about growing policy momentum towards universal childcare, emphasizing the importance of aligning childcare policies with the preferences and needs of families. Finally, she highlights the paramount importance of strong parent-child relationships for the healthy development of young children. She argues that policy should be driven by recognizing and prioritizing those core relationships. A “work-ist” rather than “family-ist” orientation fails to fulfill the essential human need for deep, bonded connection with other people.
READ MORE HERE: Child Care: What Parents Want — What Children Need (https://www.ccfp.org/ccfp/child-care-what-parents-want-what-children-need-with-jenet-erickson)

About the Guest
Jenet Erickson is a leading family policy researcher focusing on maternal and child well-being in the context of work and family life, and on the distinct contributions of mothers and fathers in children's development. She is a research fellow at the Institute for Family Studies and at the Wheatley Institution, an associate professor in at Brigham Young University, and has been a columnist on family issues for the Deseret News since 2013. Her work has been featured in in the New York Times, Slate Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, Wall Street Journal, and the Today Show, among others.

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Why Marriage Matters for Family and Child Well-Being (with Brad Wilcox)

Early Matters

11/09/23 • 50 min

Katharine Stevens is joined by Brad Wilcox, a leading family policy expert, to discuss the role of marriage in family strength and wellbeing. Professor Wilcox argues that children growing up with married parents are more likely to flourish because marriage provides stability, financial resources, and emotional support for parents, leading to better parenting outcomes. He describes the steep decline in marriage rates over the past century, and the growing marriage divide between higher and lower socioeconomic groups. Finally, he explains how current government policies disincentivize marriage for lower-income couples, and discusses how both government and civil society could better promote marriage.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
* Marriage provides stability, financial resources, and a sense of commitment that positively impacts both adults and their children.
* Marriage rates have fallen by about 65 percent since 1970; experts project that less than half of adults today will ever be married.
* The “marriage divide” is growing as more affluent and educated people are now much more likely to be stably married than those from lower-income communities.
*Government policies should eliminate existing marriage penalties and instead promote marriage by strengthening the financial foundations of family life for lower income working families.

RELATED WORK
Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization (https://www.amazon.com/Get-Married-Americans-Families-Civilization/dp/B0B3S6G7XH)
ABOUT THE GUEST
Brad Wilcox is Professor of Sociology and Director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, and Nonresident Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. His research focuses on marriage, fatherhood, and cohabitation, especially on the ways that family structure, civil society, and culture influence the quality and stability of family life. He also focuses on exploring the contribution that families make to the economic welfare of both individuals and societies.
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Empowering Parents and Scaling Preschool Success (with Art Rolnick)

Early Matters

09/28/23 • 42 min

Katharine Stevens interviews economist Arthur Rolnick, former senior vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve of Minneapolis, about his longstanding work with the Minnesota Early Learning Scholarships (MELS) program. Launched 20 years ago, the MELS program now provides scholarships to parents with children from ages prenatal to five throughout Minnesota.

Dr. Rolnick explains MELS’s core principles: 1) Target the most at-risk children, 2) Empower parents, and 3) Start prenatally. He also highlights the exceptional scalability of the MELS approach to expanding early education, which uses market forces to drive the expansion of high-quality programs. Finally, he calls for federal support and incentives to adopt this model nationwide.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Investing in early childhood development is a more effective economic development strategy than many conventional approaches.
Targeting the most at-risk children and empowering parental choice is essential to obtaining a significant return on investment.
The MELS approach utilizes market forces to drive the availability of quality programs and is easily scalable.
Federal support and incentives are needed to adopt this model on a larger scale across the US.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Art Rolnick is an economist, who's been on the faculty at the University of Minnesota since 2010 He previously served as Co-Director of the Human Capital Research Collaborative at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota and, before that, worked for 40 years at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis as a senior vice president and director of research.

Art’s main expertise is in pre-Civil War banking, but he is well-known for his decades of work in early childhood and especially the Minnesota Early Learning Scholarships program, which he launched 20 years ago in Minneapolis. His work on early childhood development has garnered numerous awards, including those from the George Lucas Educational Foundation and the Minnesota Department of Health, both in 2007; he was also named 2005 Minnesotan of the Year by Minnesota Monthly magazine.

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How Early Childhood is the Foundation of Social Capital (with Chris Bullivant)

Early Matters

09/08/23 • 72 min

Katharine Stevens interviews Chris Bullivant about the importance of social capital to a thriving society and his fascinating new report, The Early Years. The report emphasizes the crucial role of early nurturing care in building social capital, arguing that the foundation of social capital is formed through children’s secure attachment established in the birth-to-three period.
Bullivant explains the need to rebuild social capital to address the widespread breakdown of trust in society, and highlights challenges the U.S. faces in promoting social capital, including financial instability and isolation of parents with young children. He emphasizes the importance of public investment in the early years, calling for federal policies that can help parents build secure attachment with their young children through initiatives like paid family leave, the creation of family hubs, and boosting community organizations that can support parents.
Finally, Bullivant highlights the need for promoting better public understanding of attachment theory and the profound role of parents’ nurturing care in infant and toddler development.
KEY TAKEAWAYS

Social capital refers to the rich network of relationships between individuals, including family, friends, and community organizations.
Secure attachment developed in the early years forms the basic building block of social capital and is crucial for positive mental health, educational attainment, economic success, and the ability to form caring, loving relationships.
Policy ideas such as paid family leave, family hubs, and support for community organizations can help build social capital and support parents in the early years.
A public education campaign is needed to promote better understanding of attachment theory and the importance of early nurturing care for infants and toddlers.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Chris Bullivant is the director of the Social Capital Campaign, founded in 2021 to promote social capital and the institutions that create it. Prior to this work, Chris helped launch UnHerd, a British news and opinion website and two think tanks: U.K. 2020, which focused on improving environmental policy and global food security and the Center for Social Justice, a London-based think tank promoting government policies that tackle the root causes of poverty.
Chris has written for USA Toda

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Parenting Is the Key to Early Development and Social Mobility — PART 2 (with James Heckman and Jorge Luis Garcia)

Early Matters

08/24/23 • 60 min

In the second part of this two-part discussion, Katharine Stevens continues her conversation with economists James Heckman and Jorge Luis Garcia about their pioneering research on how improving parenting is the essential mechanism of effective early childhood programs, and their new paper, "Parenting Promotes Social Mobility Within and Across Generations."

They discuss why policies aiming to support young children's development must focus on families, the importance of considering incentives in making policy, how we need to broaden the concept of "investment" in early childhood beyond public spending, and the promise of home visiting as the lowest-cost, most scalable approach to supporting young children's development.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Parenting is the crucial driver of healthy early development.
Public spending should be targeted at the socially and economically disadvantaged families who need help the most.
Early childhood policy should focus on evidence-based approaches that improve parent-child interactions and support families in providing a loving, nurturing environment for their young children.
Research should aim to understand the mechanisms of effective programs and emphasize replicability of evidence.

ABOUT THE GUESTS

James Heckman is a Nobel-prize winning economist, a longtime professor at the University of Chicago, and director of the Center for the Economics of Human Development. He has devoted his professional life to understanding the origins of major social and economic problems as well as the economics of human flourishing. Learn more about Professor Heckman's work at bit.ly/3YToVs0.

Jorge Luis Garcia is a professor of applied micro-economics at Clemson University. His research focuses on the intersection of labor and development economics, aiming to design and evaluate social policies that help develop the economic conditions of countries and people. Learn more about Professor Garcia's work at bit.ly/44ruLlD.

RELATED WORK

Read their new paper: "Parenting Promotes Social Mobility Within and Across Generations" at https://www.nber.org/papers/w30610.
Listen to Part 1 of the conversation here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2148289/episodes/13389213#.

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/_CCFP and https://twitter.com/kbstevens
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FAQ

How many episodes does Early Matters have?

Early Matters currently has 14 episodes available.

What topics does Early Matters cover?

The podcast is about Early Childhood Education, Parents, Society & Culture, Parenting, Research, Podcasts and Science.

What is the most popular episode on Early Matters?

The episode title '“The Brain Development Revolution”: Early Childhood and Public Policy (with Ross Thompson)' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Early Matters?

The average episode length on Early Matters is 51 minutes.

How often are episodes of Early Matters released?

Episodes of Early Matters are typically released every 22 days, 3 hours.

When was the first episode of Early Matters?

The first episode of Early Matters was released on Aug 11, 2023.

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Early Matters

Center on Child and Family Policy

Top 10 Early Matters Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does Early Matters have?

What topics does Early Matters cover?

What is the most popular episode on Early Matters?

What is the average episode length on Early Matters?

How often are episodes of Early Matters released?

When was the first episode of Early Matters?

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