Dive into the heart of America's childcare crisis with No One Is Coming to Save Us, hosted by veteran reporter Gloria Riviera. In Season 5, you’ll hear stories about everyday people rolling up their sleeves to demand better childcare in America, whether it’s guaranteeing access for all kids ages zero to five, creating supportive services for families, or ensuring the highest quality education possible. The goal? A unified roadmap that gives us the language, knowledge, and power to advocate for the system our kids deserve – whether that’s at the ballot box, the PTA meeting or in conversation with our community leaders.
This series is created and produced with Neighborhood Villages, a nonprofit dedicated to transforming child care through innovative program-building and policy design. Visit www.neighborhoodvillages.org to learn more.
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There’s a mental health crisis in America. If we want to turn that around, we need to start from the very beginning of a person’s life. Gloria speaks to Terri Chebot, an infant mental health consultant, about the huge role that childcare providers play in children’s emotional and social growth. With so much on the line from the ages of 0-5, how caregivers handle a child’s emotions is everything. Then, we hear from Grace Blanco, the director of an early learning center in Newark, N.J.. Grace saw firsthand how the pandemic delayed children’s development. But through patience and a lot of individual attention, she also saw them bounce back.
Special thanks to our partners who have made this season possible!
This series is produced with Neighborhood Villages. Neighborhood Villages is a Massachusetts-based systems change nonprofit. It envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive. In pursuit of this vision, Neighborhood Villages designs, evaluates, and scales innovative solutions to the biggest challenges faced by early childhood education providers and the children and families who rely on them, and drives policy reform through advocacy, education, and research. Visit www.neighborhoodvillages.org to learn more.
This season was made possible with generous support from Imaginable Futures, a global philanthropic investment firm working with partners to build more healthy and equitable systems, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn and realize the future they imagine. Learn more at www.imaginablefutures.com.
This series is presented by The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation.
This series is presented by the Bainum Family Foundation. Through their WeVision EarlyEd initiative, they are elevating the voices of families and early childhood professionals, their “proximity experts,” to generate equitable and practical solutions to make the ideal vision of child care in America real. You can learn more at wevisionearlyed.org.
This season is presented by The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, an organization working to improve the lives of individuals living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage throughout the world. Learn more at hiltonfoundation.org.
Follow No One is Coming to Save Us wherever you get your podcasts, or listen ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts.
On the first episode of Season 4, Gloria’s taking a look at how quality childcare and early education can help families break out of poverty, and what that means for our country’s future. First, Gloria hears from Professor Jorge Luís Garcia, an economist at Texas A&M University whose research shows that investing in young children pays dividends for decades. Then she connects with Emily Centeio, who grew up in a low-income immigrant household and now helps to run an early learning center, Epiphany, dedicated to helping families like hers break out of poverty.
Special thanks to our partners who have made this season possible!
This series is produced with Neighborhood Villages. Neighborhood Villages is a Massachusetts-based systems change nonprofit. It envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive. In pursuit of this vision, Neighborhood Villages designs, evaluates, and scales innovative solutions to the biggest challenges faced by early childhood education providers and the children and families who rely on them, and drives policy reform through advocacy, education, and research. Visit www.neighborhoodvillages.org to learn more.
This season was made possible with generous support from Imaginable Futures, a global philanthropic investment firm working with partners to build more healthy and equitable systems, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn and realize the future they imagine. Learn more at www.imaginablefutures.com.
This series is presented by The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation.
This series is presented by the Bainum Family Foundation. Through their WeVision EarlyEd initiative, they are elevating the voices of families and early childhood professionals, their “proximity experts,” to generate equitable and practical solutions to make the ideal vision of child care in America real. You can learn more at wevisionearlyed.org.
This season is presented by The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, an organization working to improve the lives of individuals living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage throughout the world. Learn more at hiltonfoundation.org.
How New Mexico Negotiated Big Childcare Wins
Season 3 · Episode 8
Thursday, August 10, 2023 • Duration 44:24
Throughout the tour, New Mexico has been held up as the shining example of communities coming together to energize voters and pass funding for early child care. For over a decade, organizers worked tirelessly to pass a constitutional amendment which increased funding for early childhood education.
This week, we meet panelists Trisha Moquino, founder of Keres Children’s Learning Center, a not-for-profit educational organization that supports Cochiti Pueblo families; Elizabeth Groginsky, cabinet secretary for early childhood education for New Mexico; and Javier Martinez, an attorney and Speaker of the House in the New Mexico Legislature.
The three panelists speak with host Gloria Riviera about how advocates built a grassroots movement for 12 years, making the state a national leader in child care and early education. They also discussed the importance of creating a culturally aware curriculum and having educators who are well trained in diverse experiences.
Show Notes
Presented by Neighborhood Villages. Neighborhood Villages is a Massachusetts-based systems change non-profit. It envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive. In pursuit of this vision, Neighborhood Villages designs, evaluates, and scales innovative solutions to the biggest challenges faced by early childhood education providers and the children and families who rely on them, and drives policy reform through advocacy, education, and research.
This season was made possible with generous support from Imaginable Futures, a global philanthropic investment firm working with partners to build more healthy and equitable systems, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn and realize the future they imagine. Learn more at www.imaginablefutures.com
This episode is made possible through the sponsorship and support of the Conrad N. and the W.K. .
How Texas Tackled A Child Care Shortage
Season 3 · Episode 7
Thursday, August 3, 2023 • Duration 50:09
The tour makes a virtual stop in Texas to learn how child care and early childhood education advocates are working with business leaders and elected officials across the political spectrum to expand care options for families.
We meet panelists Councilmember Vanessa Fuentes, the representative for District 2 on the Austin City Council; Natalie Boyle, founder and CEO of Mommies in Need; and Sarah Baray, chief executive officer of Pre-K 4 SA, San Antonio’s award-winning early learning program.
The three panelists speak with host Gloria Riviera about tailoring solutions to fill the needs of communities across such a vast and diverse state and about how creating a child care center in a hospital not only addressed a critical shortage but also facilitated access to health care.
Show Notes
Presented by Neighborhood Villages. Neighborhood Villages is a Massachusetts-based systems change non-profit. It envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive. In pursuit of this vision, Neighborhood Villages designs, evaluates, and scales innovative solutions to the biggest challenges faced by early childhood education providers and the children and families who rely on them, and drives policy reform through advocacy, education, and research.
This season was made possible with generous support from Imaginable Futures, a global philanthropic investment firm working with partners to build more healthy and equitable systems, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn and realize the future they imagine. Learn more at www.imaginablefutures.com
This episode is made possible through the sponsorship and support of Early Matters. Learn more about the Early Matters coalition of business, civic, education, nonprofit, and philanthropic leaders who work together in their regions to solve challenges in early education and child care.
How Detroit Delivered Investments in Child Care
Season 3 · Episode 6
Thursday, July 27, 2023 • Duration 57:55
The tour stops in Detroit to highlight how advocates are expanding quality child care and education options for Michigan families; and how they’re advancing historic state investments in child care by promoting early childhood education as a public good, not a private benefit.
We meet panelists Denise Smith, the implementation director for Hope Starts Here, a coalition and framework to transform early childhood education and services in Detroit; Danielle Atkinson, founder of Mothering Justice, a leadership development and advocacy organization; and State Senator Mallory McMorrow, the Senate Majority Whip who is serving her second term in the Michigan Senate.
The three panelists speak with host Gloria Riviera about centering the experiences of mothers of color in the work of improving early childhood education and about the importance of seeing state funding for child care expansion as an investment in Michigan’s future.
Show Notes
Presented by Neighborhood Villages. Neighborhood Villages is a Massachusetts-based systems change non-profit. It envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive. In pursuit of this vision, Neighborhood Villages designs, evaluates, and scales innovative solutions to the biggest challenges faced by early childhood education providers and the children and families who rely on them, and drives policy reform through advocacy, education, and research.
This season was made possible with generous support from Imaginable Futures, a global philanthropic investment firm working with partners to build more healthy and equitable systems, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn and realize the future they imagine. Learn more at www.imaginablefutures.com
This episode is made possible through the sponsorship and support of the Kresge Foundation. We’d also like to thank the Marygrove Conservancy for hosting our live event in their beautiful space.
How Birmingham Built Bipartisan Support for Child Care
Season 3 · Episode 5
Thursday, July 20, 2023 • Duration 48:14
The tour makes a virtual stop in Birmingham, where host Gloria Riviera learns how local advocates successfully lobbied lawmakers to make a historic investment in funding for both voluntary pre-k as well as initiatives that bolster the quality of early childhood education.
This week we meet Catrice Pruitt, the director of programs at Childcare Resources, and Allison Muhlendorf, the executive director of the Alabama School Readiness Alliance, both of whom are leaders in movements to increase access to high-quality early childhood education in Alabama.
Catrice and Allison speak with Gloria about the importance of working across the aisle to get buy-in from fiscally conservative governors and legislatures in order to improve childcare across the country. They also talk about how care is a multigenerational occupation, the importance of early brain development in children, and how advocates demonstrated that investing in child care would expand the state’s economy.
Show Notes
Presented by Neighborhood Villages. Neighborhood Villages is a Massachusetts-based systems change non-profit. It envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive. In pursuit of this vision, Neighborhood Villages designs, evaluates, and scales innovative solutions to the biggest challenges faced by early childhood education providers and the children and families who rely on them, and drives policy reform through advocacy, education, and research.
This season was made possible with generous support from Imaginable Futures, a global philanthropic investment firm working with partners to build more healthy and equitable systems, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn and realize the future they imagine. Learn more at www.imaginablefutures.com
We also thank the Women’s Foundation of Alabama and the Prosper Foundation for their partnership and sponsorship of this event.
How D.C. Drove Support For Universal Child Care (Live at DCTV)
Season 3 · Episode 4
Wednesday, July 12, 2023 • Duration 53:06
The tour stops in our nation's capital to speak with local advocates about lessons learned from their successful, years-long campaign to pass universal pre-k in D.C.; how cities can better retain early childhood educators; and how to garner lawmaker support for improving child care.
We meet panelists Marica Cox Mitchell, vice president of early childhood at the Bainum Family Foundation; Beatriz “BB” Otero, senior fellow at the Center for the Study of Social Policy; and LaShada Ham-Campbell, founder and director of Petit Schools, a network of child care centers in D.C.
The three panelists speak with Gloria about the tough work of implementing solutions and about framing our understanding of current challenges in child care in the context of how society has historically devalued caregivers, and how they are working to change that.
Show Notes:
Presented by Neighborhood Villages. Neighborhood Villages is a Massachusetts-based systems change non-profit. It envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive. In pursuit of this vision, Neighborhood Villages designs, evaluates, and scales innovative solutions to the biggest challenges faced by early childhood education providers and the children and families who rely on them, and drives policy reform through advocacy, education, and research.
This season was made possible with generous support from Imaginable Futures, a global philanthropic investment firm working with partners to build more healthy and equitable systems, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn and realize the future they imagine. Learn more at www.imaginablefutures.com
This episode is made possible through the sponsorship and support of DCTV, the Bainum Family Foundation, and The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation.
Visit dctv.org/strongerstart to learn about an in-depth community conversation on child care quality, accessibility and affordability taking place in Washington, DC.
How Oakland Overcomes Racial Disparities in Child Care (Live at KDOL-TV)
Season 3 · Episode 3
Thursday, July 6, 2023 • Duration 58:35
This week Gloria Riviera is live at KDOL-TV with a trio of women who are fighting against racial inequities facing families in Oakland. They shine a light on how the struggle for racial justice and access to early childhood development go hand-in-hand.
We meet panelists Clarissa Doutherd, executive director of Parent Voices Oakland; LaWanda Wesley, director of government relations of early learning at the Child Care Resource Center; and Myeisha Jones, a parent of two beautiful children and a pre-school educator. Myeisha is also a parent leader with Parent Voices Oakland.
All three speak about the multiple crises families face when obtaining child care and the work of making care more affordable while also making educator wages more equitable across the Golden State.
Show Notes
Presented by Neighborhood Villages. Neighborhood Villages is a Massachusetts-based systems change non-profit. It envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive. In pursuit of this vision, Neighborhood Villages designs, evaluates, and scales innovative solutions to the biggest challenges faced by early childhood education providers and the children and families who rely on them, and drives policy reform through advocacy, education, and research.
This season was made possible with generous support from Imaginable Futures, a global philanthropic investment firm working with partners to build more healthy and equitable systems, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn and realize the future they imagine. Learn more at www.imaginablefutures.com
Thanks to Oakland Starting Smart and Strong for making this show possible. Oakland Starting Smart and Strong is a citywide early childhood collaborative that advances racial justice, develops and amplifies community-driven solutions, and advocates for changes in policy and resources. Our work proves that restorative, healing, and racially just work can take place when systems center the priorities of the most impacted early educators and families. Visit to learn more.
How Tulsa’s Tackling Child Care Deserts (Live From the Woody Guthrie Center)
Season 3 · Episode 2
Thursday, June 29, 2023 • Duration 52:29
On the first stop of the national tour, host Gloria Riviera is live in Tulsa to speak with members of a coalition that is supporting both families and childhood educators while working to stamp out Oklahoma’s expansive child care desert.
We meet panelists Cindy Decker, executive director of Tulsa Educare, an early childcare provider in Tulsa; Jackie Evans, owner of Aunt Jackie’s Family Childcare Home, one of six family child care programs in Tulsa Educare’s Partnerships program; and Jennifer Kirby who is the Cherokee Nation Human Services executive director.
All three speak with Gloria about their experience in what it takes to train and retain educators and make child care accessible for families across Oklahoma, including within the Cherokee Nation.
Show Notes
Presented by Neighborhood Villages. Neighborhood Villages is a Massachusetts-based systems change non-profit. It envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive. In pursuit of this vision, Neighborhood Villages designs, evaluates, and scales innovative solutions to the biggest challenges faced by early childhood education providers and the children and families who rely on them, and drives policy reform through advocacy, education, and research.
This season was made possible with generous support from Imaginable Futures, a global philanthropic investment firm working with partners to build more healthy and equitable systems, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn and realize the future they imagine. Learn more at www.imaginablefutures.com
We also thank the George Kaiser Family Foundation for their partnership and sponsorship of this live event. To learn more about GKFF and its work in Tulsa, visit gkff.org. We also thank our hosts the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa.
Check out these resources from today’s episode:
Setting Out To Meet the People Coming to Save Us (With Latoya Gayle)
Season 3 · Episode 1
Thursday, June 22, 2023 • Duration 40:27
We’re back for Season 3, and this year, host Gloria Riviera is setting out across the U.S. to meet the people who are fixing the child care crisis. A lot has happened since Season 2, and in this episode, Latoya Gayle from Neighborhood Villages updates us about what we’ve been missing, including President Biden’s recent executive order on child care and what it means for you. Plus, Gloria and Latoya preview some state-level legislative reforms on child care we’ll learn more about throughout the season.
Show Notes
Presented by Neighborhood Villages. Neighborhood Villages is a Massachusetts-based systems change non-profit. It envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive. In pursuit of this vision, Neighborhood Villages designs, evaluates, and scales innovative solutions to the biggest challenges faced by early childhood education providers and the children and families who rely on them, and drives policy reform through advocacy, education, and research.
This season was made possible with generous support from Imaginable Futures, a global philanthropic investment firm working with partners to build more healthy and equitable systems, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn and realize the future they imagine. Learn more at www.imaginablefutures.com
Our partners as Neighborhood Villages offer tips on being a
Follow No One is Coming to Save Us wherever you get your podcasts, or listen ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts.
Visit the Center for the Study of Social Policy to learn about the work of changing public policy to better serve young people in ways that allow them to thrive.
Visit Parent Voices Oakland to learn how families are advocating for themselves in the struggle for high quality, affordable early childhood education.
Learn about the Child Care Resource Center’s work to support families and early childhood educators in Southern California and beyond.
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