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
Mom of two, former special education teacher
'23-'24 Spencer Fellow
Austin, TX
Reposted by Jackie Mader
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.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 10, 2025 at 5:30 PM
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.
It's October 10th, and summer camp registration has officially started here in Austin, Texas 😱
October 10, 2025 at 2:01 PM
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
October 9, 2025 at 1:24 PM
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...
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...
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
September 25, 2025 at 5:01 PM
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...
hechingerreport.org/rural-americ...
Reposted by Jackie Mader
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
July 16, 2025 at 2:19 PM
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...
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...
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
July 16, 2025 at 8:45 PM
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...
hechingerreport.org/americas-chi...
Reposted by Jackie Mader
“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
June 25, 2025 at 11:55 AM
“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
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.
www.ednc.org
June 25, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Important #earlyed solution story by Liz Bell: www.ednc.org/06-24-2025-e...
Important reporting: www.wweek.com/news/schools...
Eleventh-Hour Amendment to Senate Bill Seeks to End Preschool for All Tax
An amendment posted late Monday night to an Oregon Senate bill seeks to end Multnomah County’s Preschool for All program.
www.wweek.com
June 25, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Important reporting: www.wweek.com/news/schools...
Reposted by Jackie Mader
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
June 9, 2025 at 10:12 AM
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
Reposted by Jackie Mader
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...
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.
www.axios.com
May 28, 2025 at 1:07 PM
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...
Wrote about this today. But I shall thread for those who don't want to click! www.axios.com/2025/05/28/t...
Reposted by Jackie Mader
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...
May 29, 2025 at 6:35 PM
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...
Reposted by Jackie Mader
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...
May 20, 2025 at 8:04 PM
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...
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.
www.theverge.com
May 20, 2025 at 4:57 PM
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...
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.
www.the74million.org
May 20, 2025 at 1:25 AM
First, Head Start payments were delayed. Now, federal child care subsidy funds: www.the74million.org/article/offi...
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...
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
May 15, 2025 at 1:18 PM
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...
hechingerreport.org/as-conservat...
Reposted by Jackie Mader
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...
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.
www.kqed.org
May 12, 2025 at 2:25 PM
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...
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...
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...
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
April 30, 2025 at 5:32 PM
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...
hechingerreport.org/as-federal-d...
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
April 22, 2025 at 10:37 PM
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
As we watch the slow starve of Head Start, legislators around the nation are continuing to push for child care deregulation rather than investment. My latest from my early childhood newsletter this week: hechingerreport.org/states-try-t...
States try to tackle child care shortages — by lowering standards - The Hechinger Report
Bills proposed in a handful of states would lower training requirements, loosen ratios
hechingerreport.org
April 17, 2025 at 5:21 PM
As we watch the slow starve of Head Start, legislators around the nation are continuing to push for child care deregulation rather than investment. My latest from my early childhood newsletter this week: hechingerreport.org/states-try-t...