In this episode Candice Deal-Bartell and I discuss role of childcare and early childhood education in American society and the challenges of providing that care during the pandemic. Do providers have the resources necessary to perform their essential work? How can public policy better reflect the importance of this work and the value of workers who perform it, both during and after the Covid-19 crisis? Deal-Bartell is Founder and Director of Cultivate Mankato Child Care Center.