Explore the Care Innovation Hub from the Better Life Lab (BLL), a curated collection of powerful stories and multimedia content produced by our staff, reporting grantees, and fellows. These deeply reported narratives spotlight solutions to the systemic challenges that families across the United States face in providing care to their loved ones.
Published in wide-ranging media outlets, these stories amplify the voices of families, providers, and communities working to build a more equitable, high-quality, affordable universal care system.
For New York magazine, BLL reporting grantee Bryce Covert explores how a decade ago, New York City rapidly launched universal, free preschool for four-year-olds by prioritizing speed, focus, resources, and inclusivity—demonstrating that bold, universal public programs are achievable with political will.
Intergenerational day centers, which bring together young children and older adults, help reduce senior isolation while fostering empathy and understanding in children. Reporting grantee Mark Swartz covers for The 74 how this model benefits both age groups through shared programming and meaningful interaction.
In Early Learning Nation, BLL staff writer Rebecca Gale reports on the Show Me Strong Families program in St. Louis, which provides biweekly home visits to support families from pregnancy through early childhood, improving health, development, and school readiness.
A lack of affordable, trusted child care is a hidden barrier keeping many Americans—especially low-income parents—from voting and participating in civic life. In Dayton, Ohio’s East End, Brandon Wallace and Edie Philbeck are part of a broader group of “swing-state” residents who rarely vote—not because they don’t care, but because daily survival leaves little room for civic engagement, BLL staff writer Rebecca Gale reports.
Unlike in peer nations, caregiving in America remains a personal burden rather than a shared societal responsibility. For The 74, BLL staff writer Rebecca Gale interviews sociologist Jessica Calarco about her book on how the U.S. reliance on women to fill gaps in care through unpaid or underpaid labor strains them economically and emotionally.
For The Hechinger Report, BLL reporting grantee Anya Kamenetz covers the threat in Project 2025 to dismantle Head Start amid recent federal layoffs. Early Head Start programs continue providing vital two-generation support, but their future depends on sustained federal backing.
In a graphic story for Early Learning Nation, BLL staff writer Rebecca Gale and illustrator Dianne Kirsch explain the Child Tax Credit expiration, what Congress could do, and how it would impact people, especially those at lower income levels.
Tribal Head Start programs, like Walatowa in New Mexico, serve as crucial centers for early education and cultural preservation, immersing children in Indigenous language and traditions while supporting community resilience and sovereignty. These programs highlight the need for policies that recognize their dual role in education and cultural survival, BLL staff writer Rebecca Gale reports for The 74.
For The 74, BLL staff writer Rebecca Gale interviewed productivity expert Cal Newport, who advocates for a “slow productivity” approach—focusing on fewer, high-impact projects with intentional rest—to improve work quality and reduce burnout.
Apprenticeship programs combine on-the-job training with classroom instruction, paid compensation, certification paths, and career ladders—critical features amid a national early childhood staffing crisis. This initiative has been so successful that other states and localities are looking to create similar programs, as BLL staff writer Rebecca Gale reports for The 74.
A child care center in Maryland is training staff to recognize signs of postpartum mood disorders, helping bridge a critical gap in maternal mental health support, BLL staff writer Rebecca Gale reports for Bethesda magazine. By equipping caregivers with resources and awareness, the initiative positions early learning centers as essential allies for new parents during a vulnerable time.
For EdSource, BLL reporting grantee Tonia McMillian writes that the well-being of early childhood educators—mostly Black and brown women—is often overlooked, leading to serious health risks as they sacrifice their own care to support families.
For Forbes, BLL grantee Christine Ro reports on how recovery from the Eaton Fire in Altadena reveals the deep link between financial and climate resilience, showing that without emergency savings, families and child care providers struggle to prepare for or recover from disasters.
BLL staff writer Rebecca Gale reports for The 74 on what D.C.’s early childhood educators lose with cuts to the city’s Pay Equity Fund, which allowed many of them to feel some relief and provide more for their families.
New Mexico’s investments in affordable child care, higher educator wages, and better subsidies are helping families—especially low-income parents—stay in the workforce and reengage civically, illustrating how strong care infrastructure supports both well-being and democracy, BLL staff writer Rebecca Gale reports for The 74.
North Carolina’s child care shortage is costing the state billions and pushing parents out of the workforce, highlighting the urgent need for increased state and federal investment. For The Assembly, BLL reporting grantee Lisa Rab covers how local efforts alone can’t solve the crisis without broader financial support.
For Fast Company, BLL reporting grantee Kendra Hurley explores how regulations that have nothing to do with child health and safety, along with property owner discrimination, prevent home-based child care programs from opening and growing or make them vulnerable to being shut down. But advocates are working to pass anti-discrimination laws and revamp the regulations governing home programs.
In a New America brief, BLL staff writer Rebecca Gale looks at a new Head Start facility in East Dayton, Ohio—an area marked by persistent poverty and community distrust—that is adopting a two‑generation strategy that pairs high‑quality early education for children with adult-focused services like healthcare, job training, and community engagement.
State lawmakers are using bipartisan economic development strategies like construction grants and zoning reforms to help child care centers expand, improving access and lowering costs while supporting workforce participation. BLL reporting grantee Maggie Clark reports for Stateline that early results show these infrastructure-focused policies effectively boost capacity and benefit local economies.
BLL staff writer Rebecca Gale reports for Fast Company that Vermont employers, local government, and nonprofits partnered to build new child care centers, creating over 500 slots while improving affordability and worker pay—demonstrating how local collaboration can tackle the child care crisis amid uncertain federal action.
Vermont’s Act 76 rapidly expanded child care subsidies and provider payments, cutting costs for families and increasing available slots—demonstrating how targeted state policy can quickly ease financial strain and boost child care access. BLL staff writer Rebecca Gale reports in EdSurge on how the initiative offers a potential model for broader reform.
