Connections for Children's CEO, Jennifer Cowan, recently joined the She Built It podcast with Melanie Barr to discuss why child care is more than a family issue. It's an economic imperative. Jennifer shared how Connections for Children (CFC) is helping families access quality child care, supporting the early childhood workforce, and building partnerships that strengthen our community. She also reflected on leading CFC through unprecedented challenges while staying focused on our mission of serving children and families.
Highlights from the conversation included:
- How resilient leadership, scalable systems, and strong partnerships have enabled Connections for Children to navigate change while continuing to grow.
- The importance of investing in the early childhood workforce and recognizing child care providers as essential professionals.
- Lessons from building innovative programs designed to scale and creating lasting systems-level impact.
- Why flexibility, collaboration, and a long-term vision are critical to leading a mission-driven organization through periods of uncertainty.
"We need to recognize that child care providers and early childhood educators are essential professionals. They should be compensated in a way that reflects their expertise and value."
