Early Matters

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 innovativ...

Ivana Greco joined the podcast to discuss her proposal for a "GI Bill for Homemakers," targeting mothers and fathers who dedicate themselves to the crucial work of home and community. She compares the career trajectories of Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and William Rehnquist to illuminate obstacles faced by homemakers who are re-entering the paid workforce, arguing that we s...

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...

Dr. Dana Suskind, a pediatric surgeon and early childhood expert, discusses the transformative power of nurturing language environments in children's development and the vital role parents play as architects of their children’s brains. Highlights of the conversation include:  Starting at birth, the back-and-forth exchanges between parents and young children, both verbal and nonverbal, form th...

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...

Dr. Phil Fisher discusses his pioneering work on the effects of early stressful experiences on young children’s development. He explains the importance of responsive and sensitive care in early childhood, and how an absence of nurturing care can have long-lasting negative effects on children’s neurobiological and psychological development. He also discusses why the well-being of parents is essenti...

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 earl...

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-governmen...

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 decli...

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...

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 explain...

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...

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 aimin...

In this inaugural episode of the Center on Child and Family Policy's new podcast, Katharine Stevens interviews renowned economists James Heckman and Jorge Luis Garcia about their collaborative research on the transformational power of early childhood interventions to build human capital, and their new paper, "Parenting Promotes Social Mobility Within and Across Generations." They di...