Jackie Mader
@jackiemader.bsky.social
Senior early childhood reporter at The Hechinger Report Mom of two, former special education teacher '23-'24 Spencer Fellow Austin, TX
I've spent the last few months talking to people who are trying to improve childhood around the world for my upcoming book. Now, I want to talk to more families and children! Are you open to sharing? I'd love to hear from you! Check out the info below and feel free to reach out with any questions!
“[D]espite the evidence behind SRSD and similar approaches based on the science of writing, they haven’t made it into … classrooms.” @jackiemader.bsky.social for @hechingerreport.org & @denverpost.com hechingerreport.org/the-next-lit...
The next literacy challenge: Teaching students how to write
After years of neglect, writing skills are getting more attention in school
hechingerreport.org
I reported this story on behavior challenges in elementary school from a first grade classroom while trying to ignore a 6-year-old repeatedly head-butting my legs like he was a baby goat. Teachers are amazing! hechingerreport.org/biting-kicki...
Teachers facing more problems with disruptive students
Teachers, districts and states are taking multiple approaches to curb what elementary teachers say is a trend of increasingly severe behavior problems in their classrooms.
hechingerreport.org
Follow @jackiemader.bsky.social and the @hechingerreport.org for reporting on the impact of ICE actions on young children and their education.
Immigration raids traumatize even the youngest children
Young kids need mental health support, protection from witnessing aggressive enforcement, experts say.
hechingerreport.org
A few months ago, a toddler carried a small, empty chip bag into a shelter. At some point during intake, he set it down. A staff member threw it away, and when the boy realized it, he was inconsolable. “This is the only toy my child has,” the mother said. hechingerreport.org/homelessness...
Infants and toddlers are a growing group among homeless children
Between 2021 and 2023, the number of homeless infants and toddlers increased in 48 states and the District of Columbia. Experts worry that official statistics have not captured the true number.
hechingerreport.org
Since January, I've been tracking how immigration is affecting the child care industry. This report brings stunning numbers to what I've heard: 39,000 foreign-born child care workers have been driven out of the profession due to increased immigration enforcement hechingerreport.org/immigration-...
Immigration enforcement is driving away early childhood educators
Close to 40,000 foreign-born child care workers have been driven out of the profession in the wake of the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation and detainment efforts, according to a new study...
hechingerreport.org
Eighty-five percent of parents said they trust their child’s pediatrician on vaccine information — a level of confidence that cuts across political divides, including among MAGA Republicans, according to a Washington Post-KFF poll.
In an age of vaccine skepticism, parents trust pediatricians most
A Washington Post-KFF poll finds that pediatricians are the most trusted source for vaccine information and that confidence in them is a strong predictor of vaccination.
washingtonpost.com
It's October 10th, and summer camp registration has officially started here in Austin, Texas 😱
More than 42 percent of 3- to 5-year-olds with ADHD are prescribed medication within a month of their diagnosis. This means parents are missing a crucial treatment step recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, meant to (and proven to) help families: hechingerreport.org/many-childre...
Many children with ADHD miss a crucial step in treatment
Behavior therapy should be a first step for families who have a child with ADHD, but a recent Stanford Medicine study found many children are receiving medication within a month of diagnosis.
hechingerreport.org
My account was hacked so no, I don’t have suggestions for Halloween makeup per ”my” wild retweets (sorry!). I do have a new story up though, in which I traveled to rural Ohio to see how communities that voted for Trump feel about Head Start uncertainty: hechingerreport.org/rural-americ...
Rural Ohio relies on Head Start. Trump is worrying people in the region who need this free child care
Close to half of its seats in this federally funded free program are located in areas outside towns and cities. But federal staff cuts and funding showdowns may hurt some of the same voters in rural a...
hechingerreport.org
America's child care system relies on immigrants. Without them, it could collapse. Important story from @jackiemader.bsky.social on how the Trump administration's policies will make it harder for families to access care and impact kindergarten readiness over time hechingerreport.org/americas-chi...
America’s child care system relies on immigrants. Without them, it could collapse - The Hechinger Report
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Maggi’s home in a suburban neighborhood here is a haven for local families. It’s a place where after just a few weeks in Maggi’s family-run child care program this spring, one pres...
hechingerreport.org
Child care teachers in the US make about $32,000 a year. This (and tough working conditions) has created mass child care teacher shortages & extremely high turnover rates.Our child care industry has long relied on immigrants, especially in big cities. My latest: hechingerreport.org/americas-chi...
America’s child care system relies on immigrants. Without them, it could collapse - The Hechinger Report
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Maggi’s home in a suburban neighborhood here is a haven for local families. It’s a place where after just a few weeks in Maggi’s family-run child care program this spring, one pres...
hechingerreport.org
“I think something people don’t always recognize is that summer is the hungriest time of year for families." hechingerreport.org/young-childr... @jackiemader.bsky.social explains why
Governors in 13 states reject funding for summer food program
Thousands more children are expected to go hungry this summer as a growing number of states and cities decline federal summer food dollars.
hechingerreport.org
Important #earlyed solution story by Liz Bell: www.ednc.org/06-24-2025-e...
Early childhood substitute teachers are hard to come by. A private funder is changing that in New Hanover County
Live Oak Bank is funding a $600,000 two-year contract with Wonderschool to operate a substitute pool for child care programs in New Hanover.
ednc.org
The concept of inclusion raises the ire of the Trump administration — with research that includes the words inclusion or disability under federal scrutiny — Nebraska is a case study of what can happen when schools prioritize it: hechingerreport.org/nebraska-inv... via @jackiemader.bsky.social
How Nebraska is reimagining special education — and seeing promising results
Nebraska is a case study of what can happen when schools prioritize including students with disabilities in ways research shows helps all students learn.
hechingerreport.org
A buried provision in the "big beautiful bill" effectively penalizes single parents who receive SNAP, or food stamps, as compared to households headed by married couples. Wrote about this today. But I shall thread for those who don't want to click! www.axios.com/2025/05/28/t...
SNAP work requirements are different for single parents.
Single parents will have to work to receive food benefits while some married parents will not.
axios.com
Thrilled to work with such amazing colleagues. @hechingerreport.org won 6 of 17 categories at the @edwriters.bsky.social 2024 awards! 🥂 to @jackiemader.bsky.social @lizhech.bsky.social @sarahbutro.bsky.social @jonmarcusboston.bsky.social and...
This is my scoop that she's asking RFK about: the administration is sitting on hundreds in millions of funding for childcare that's legally owed to states www.the74million.org/article/offi...
Officials Sound Alarm Over Delayed Federal Child Care Payments to States
States anticipated payments in April, but they’re still waiting for the funds, which they use to help low-income families afford child care.
the74million.org
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · last yr.here's the full clip of RFK Jr losing his shit at Patty Murray today during a hearing so badly that Republican Sen. Capito had to step in and tell him to "hold back"
The other day I spent 27 minutes with four editors agonizing over a 5-word headline for an upcoming story. And then there's stuff like this: www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
Chicago Sun-Times publishes made-up books and fake experts in AI debacle
A summer reading guide included made-up books by real authors.
theverge.com
First, Head Start payments were delayed. Now, federal child care subsidy funds: www.the74million.org/article/offi...
Officials Sound Alarm Over Delayed Federal Child Care Payments to States
States anticipated payments in April, but they’re still waiting for the funds, which they use to help low-income families afford child care.
the74million.org
Unlike funding for preschool and older children, which largely comes from state sources, funding for programs that support babies and toddlers mostly comes from the federal government. Here's how proposed cuts will trickle down to hurt infants and toddlers: hechingerreport.org/as-conservat...
As conservatives push for more babies, Congress proposes cuts that could hurt families, toddler and infants - The Hechinger Report
Megan Newsome was 27 weeks pregnant when she was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer of the blood. After her son was born four weeks early, Newsome underwent intensive chemoth...
hechingerreport.org
Promoting strong child-caregiver relationships is central to the HealthySteps model. 👨🍼 Excellent reporting from @jackiemader.bsky.social on "serve and return" interactions and why they're so critical for early childhood development! www.kqed.org/mindshift/65...
Serve and Return: How Talking with Young Children Helps Them Flourish | KQED
A growing number of cities, states and individual child care programs are pouring resources into training teachers on the importance of talking to kids as much as possible.
kqed.org
If Head Start is eliminated, there will be massive consequences in many of the rural communities that voted for the Republican ticket. About 46 percent of all funded Head Start slots are in rural congressional districts, compared to 22 percent in urban districts. hechingerreport.org/as-federal-d...
As federal dollars for Head Start slow, rural parents left without other options - The Hechinger Report
In the rural Methow Valley in northeast Washington state, parents have few options for child care. There are only two licensed programs in the community — one of which is a Head Start center. About 40...
hechingerreport.org
Head Start grantees have been telling me that their funding requests have been kicked back for not including enough "justification" of why they are drawing down their funds. Today, ACF sent an email to grantees that their funding will be now approved or denied based on those justifications
