Early Childhood Chats

In this powerful episode of Early Childhood Chats, we uncover the hidden dangers most childcare programs never think about: vehicles crashing into playgrounds, buildings, and drop-off areas. Safety expert Ken Skertich joins host Andy Roszak to break down what really puts early childhood facilities at risk—and what programs can do to prevent tragedy. From bollards and guardrails, to proper risk ass...

Andy Roszak sits down with architect John Hollo to explore how design and construction strategies can save lives. Discover how childcare centers, schools, and community buildings can prevent tragic vehicle-into-building crashes through thoughtful design, crash-tested barriers, and proactive safety planning. John shares over 25 years of architectural experience and real-world examples of how simple...

Vehicles strike commercial buildings about 100 times a day—and early childhood programs aren’t spared. In this kickoff to our three-part safety series, host Andy sits down with Rob Reiter, co-founder of the Storefront Safety Council (https://www.storefrontsafety.org/), whose database tracks 50,000+ incidents to unpack why “vehicle-into-building” and playground crashes are both foreseeable and prev...

Urgent Episode Exposes Human Cost of Shutdown on 65,000 Head Start KidsWASHINGTON, D.C. — As the federal government shutdown enters its fifth week, Early Childhood Chats releases a breaking episode recorded just 48 hours before November 1st, when 134 Head Start programs serving 65,000 children in 41 states and Puerto Rico could lose all funding. Host Andy Roszak, a former Senate staffer and early...

Children with big emotions can be both inspiring and challenging to support. In this episode of Early Childhood Chats, clinical social worker and author Claire Lerner shares practical strategies for understanding and guiding kids with strong reactions and sensitivities. Building on insights from her bestselling book Why Is My Child in Charge? and her new release Big Reactors: Practical Strategies...

In this new This Week in Early Childhood series, host Andy Roszak recaps the latest news, stories, and lessons for early learning professionals. In this week’s episode, we discuss the new ACF director’s priorities, a devastating daycare fire in Pennsylvania, alarming vehicle crashes into childcare centers, tragic safety incidents, and much more. Stay informed, stay prepared, and join us weekly for...

Discover the untold stories and strengths of tribal childcare programs across the United States. In this episode of Early Childhood Chats, host Andy Rozak speaks with Jennifer Rackliff, Executive Director of the National Indian Child Care Association (NICCA), about the challenges, opportunities, and innovations shaping Native communities. Learn how tribal childcare blends cultural traditions, sove...

Andy is joined by Dr. Kimberly Honnick of Bo Knowz Learning. Unlock the power of early childhood education in this inspiring conversation about teaching, learning, and social-emotional growth. With over 30 years of experience as a teacher, principal, superintendent, and consultant, Dr. Honnick shares her passion for serving children and families, building meaningful classroom experiences, and crea...

Today we sat down with the distinguished Dr. James C. Rodríguez, MSW  @JamesRodriguezFFCA  for an insightful and thought-provoking discussion on the critical aspects of early childhood development and education. Find out more about his work at: https://fathersandfamiliescoalition.org/Early Childhood Chats is hosted by Andrew Roszak - JD, MPA, EMT-PExecutive Director at the Institute for Childhood...

Tara is a speech-language pathologist with over 20 years of experience specializing in autism and the founder of @autismlittlelearners She is dedicated to providing valuable resources, materials, and training to support special education teachers, speech-language pathologists, and parents of young autistic children. Find out more about her work here: https://autismlittlelearners.com/ and check out...

Claire Lerner is an internationally recognized child development and parenting expert with more than three decades of experience in education and direct practice. She partners with parents to help them solve their most vexing childrearing challenges by guiding them through the detective work to decode the meaning of their children’s behavior. Together, she and the parents identify the root cause o...

Today we bring you a special episode thanks to our friends @GryphonHouseBooks In November they took time to sit down with our Founder and CEO Andrew Roszak, where he shared insights from his journey, starting as a firefighter and paramedic to becoming an attorney and advocate for safety in schools and childcare centers. He provides practical advice for early childhood education professionals on ho...

A few months back we sat down with Client Success and Communications Manager for National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA) and National Child Care Association ((https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-early-childhood-program-accreditation-necpa-/) Moriah Whitehead (https://www.linkedin.com/in/moriah-whitehead-6b004b192/) Moriah is a passionate young professional with a diverse skill...

Today we sat down with Jose Moreno, Founder & CEO at Neulight (https://www.neulight.io/) - Revolutionizing Personalized Student Support with IntelliTier with over 15 years at Microsoft and Netflix, Jose is leveraging his software expertise to pioneer educational innovations at Neulight, aiming to transform EdTech with AI. You can follow him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-neulight/ Earl...

Today we sat down with Coleen Walker, Principal of Inside Crown, Inc. (www.insidecrown.com), who brings over 25 years of extensive expertise in the Human Resources field. Her diverse background encompasses extensive experience in DEI initiatives, governance training, and human resource consulting and training across nonprofit and for-profit sectors. As an accomplished facilitator, Coleen promotes...

Today we sat down with Kathy Haule who brings #20+years of experience in #earlychildhood education. She thrives on opportunities to support educators working young children. With enthusiasm, Kathy Haule, promotes standards of high quality to maximize the benefits of early learning programs. She and her husband, Art, have one daughter and one granddaughter. You can find out more about her #consulta...

Today we sat down with Tanika Steele a Public Speaker, Life Coach, and Educational Consultant (https://www.steeleedconsult.com/). She holds a Bachelor's degree in secondary education English and a Master's in Public Administration and Not for profit management and leadership. She has over 29 years of experience working with at risk children and families from communities all over Suffolk and Nassau...

Today we sat down with Jackie Rivera who has been a Health Administrator at a Head Start in central Missouri for over 10 years and is a certified Community Action professional. Before becoming a nurse, Jackie spent 10 years as an early childhood education teacher. Jackie oversees health and safety at her agency and is project manager for the agency’s Childhood Obesity and Diabetes Prevention Proje...

Today we sat down with Nikkia Mosley an accomplished professional with 26 years of experience in the Head Start program, EHS, CCP, MSHS, and Home base. She currently serves as the Executive Director for Fort Valley State University. Nikkia’s journey in the field of early childhood education began when she started as a Head Start parent. Over the years, she has held various roles within the Head St...

Today on Early Childhood Chats we sat down with Patrick J. Patterson the President of Global Partners for Fathers and Families Consulting (globalpartnersff.com) LLC, a national consulting firm that equips public and private sector agencies with the tools to serve fathers, male students, and their families authentically. Patrick has launched and managed community, statewide, and federal programs du...

We sat down with Early Childhood Solutions to discuss their distinctive kind of “Boutique Retreat Training” for early childhood professionals. They have a collective 60 years of experience in early childhood and you can find out more information about their offerings here: earlychildhoodsolutions.net Early Childhood Chats is hosted by Andrew Roszak - JD, MPA, EMT-P Executive Director at the Instit...

Recorded at the NAFCC Annual Conference in St. Louis. Today Andy chats with Laney Jones, Program Coordinator for Atlanta-based Small Bites Adventure Club. Learn about ways we can encourage healthy eating for our children and include them in activities surrounding the selection and preparation of food. Small Bites Adventure Club's vision is that every child receives the opportunity to discover,...

Special Edition - from St. Louis at the National Association of Family Child Care Conference. Short interview with family child care provider Sydia Winstead of Pennsylvania. Discussing why she became a family child care provider, what she enjoys best about her job, and some of the issues facing the industry. Early Childhood Chats is hosted by Andrew Roszak - JD, MPA, EMT-P Executive Director at th...

Today we sit down with Mortricia White MA, Ed. D (ABD), owner of White’s Consultants (whitespremierconsultants.com) a veteran, minority, woman owned business has 15 years of experience conducting Head Start/Early Head Start Reviews, onsite compliance monitoring, and Infant, Toddler, and Pre-K CLASS. She has a background in Early Childhood Development and Elementary Education. Ms. White has expert...

Today on the podcast we sit down with Amber Rollins the Director of Kids and Car Safety https://www.kidsandcars.org/. Ms. Rollins graduated from the University of Kansas (Go Jayhawks!) with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Welfare. Ms. Rollins began her career in injury prevention with Kids and Car Safety in 2005. She manages national public safety campaigns and major projects, develops strategic par...