Too often, decisions are made by a limited set of people in power. And far too often, those decisions fail to include and consider the people who are most affected by those decisions.  

We’re living in a moment that demands bold leadership. And it requires that we embrace the strengths and opportunities of diverse voices to solve today's problems.

That's why I am launching a limited podcast series this year. It’s called A Seat at the Table: Conversations on Leadership, Equity and Innovation. 

On Wednesday, comedian and host of The Daily Show Trevor Noah devoted a portion of his nightly show to talk about – child care. He spent 10 minutes exploring the many flaws of our current child care system. But his most pointed criticism was aimed at the way child care in the U.S. is funded.

“Good morning! I sure have missed your smiling face! Could we set up a virtual visit this week so I could see you and we could talk about how everything is going in your program?”

As funny as this may sound, this has gotten one of our outstanding consultants many virtual visits.

Connections are so important when working with child care providers. Consultants make many connections with the providers with whom they work. For the consultant mentioned above, just saying she misses seeing them is enough to rekindle that connection during this time of social distancing and virtual consultation visits. The providers missed the consultant too, and were happy to tackle technology just to see their consultant again!

Families put a lot of trust in child care providers every day. Part of that trust is knowing that children will be safe and cared for in any situation, including during and after an emergency. Child care providers who plan ahead are better-prepared and will know what to do to respond to an emergency and keep the children in their care safe. By planning and preparing in advance, they are also able to recover faster after an emergency.  

Each February, we set aside each time to celebrate Black History Month (BHM). The observance of BHM is a sort of antidote to the lack of Black history being embedded in general American history the rest of the year. We must understand that when we leave Black American or any other culture’s contributions out of our history, we miss a chance to learn about the inventions, films, music, freedom fighters and the legacy of strength and inspiration that this county was built upon. We hope that one day we will have strong, robust history lessons that celebrate the diversity of our country, but until we do observances such as BHM are critical.

Earlier this month, President Biden announced the details of his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, the American Rescue Plan. The proposal provides emergency relief to families and businesses during the economic crisis created by the coronavirus pandemic.

The plan includes executive actions the President quickly implemented after taking office. The Executive Order on Supporting the Reopening and Continuing Operation of Schools and Early Childhood Education Providers directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide guidance for child care programs to safely reopen and operate. HHS will also provide guidance to assist child care programs in meeting the needs of children, families and staff affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on trauma-informed care, behavioral and mental health supports and family support.