Conclusion

Narrative change requires both a widening and deepening of the storytelling field. Expanding our efforts to include diverse media, publications, and a deeper bench of reporters will help us achieve and further this. It has also allowed our own team to grow as reporters, researchers, and editors, and with deeper expertise comes more meaningful and nuanced reporting. In disseminating funds directly to reporters to support their coverage of child care issues, we found that these grants extend the reach of care stories to new audiences, give journalists the flexibility to report on aspects of child care innovation that might not have otherwise been captured, and elevate the voices of more reporters on the topic.

The Better Life Lab intends to continue the reporting grants as one of our pillars of creating narrative change. We believe that more robust reporting on child care as a policy issue will require further investments of time and resources and the building of a cadre of journalists with a deep understanding of policy and the solutions-journalism model. While movements to fund care are happening in a handful of states, notably Vermont and New Mexico, most are left behind, and their families are left to fend for themselves. But knowing that change is an option may be the first step to imagining a new future, one in which care infrastructure is valued and supported.

We aren’t there yet, but we remain optimistic about the possibilities for change in the future.