Modifications — and subsequent confusion and concern — largely outlined the early childhood schooling sector in 2025. A number of social applications together with Head Begin and starvation help applications have been in flux. Rising prices of dwelling have been coupled with the rising prices of kid care. And plenty of EdSurge readers have been left trying to find solutions, as seen in our most-read tales of the 12 months.
There was additionally loads of innovation within the discipline, from remodeling empty college buildings, including apprenticeship applications and introducing play into educating math. There might be extra of that undoubtedly in 2026 and EdSurge goals to deliver you extra solutions as questions proceed to come up about the way forward for early studying and baby care.
Listed below are the preferred early childhood schooling tales, in descending order. You’ll be able to see our most-read tales masking the Okay-12 sector right here.
10. Extra Than Half of Little one Care Suppliers Have Gone Hungry, New Report Finds
By Lauren Coffey
Little one care suppliers struggling is nothing new, and lots of left the sector postpandemic resulting from its low pay and lengthy, unstable hours. However the battle to outlive got here to a head final 12 months, as the price of dwelling continued to rise and a number of social applications — particularly SNAP, previously referred to as meals stamps — have been quickly paused. A report from the RAPID Survey Challenge on the Stanford Middle on Early Childhood discovered that primary wants could also be better than ever, with 58 % of kid care suppliers stating they skilled starvation in 2025.
9. Might Play Enhance College students’ Math Efficiency?
By Daniel Mollenkamp
Early schooling usually conjures pictures of video games, brilliant colours and loads of play time. However usually these associations cease on the subject of math class. EdSurge spoke with consultants throughout the nation seeking to marry the 2. However much like the curriculum at ever-popular Montessori colleges, “play” isn’t a free-for-all. In relation to math instruction, there’s a effective line between board and cube video games and classes about bigger ideas.
8. What Will Children Lose If PBS Will get Reduce?
By Lauren Coffey
Calls to chop funding for PBS started within the spring of 2025, culminating in a number of slashed grants that greater than probably spelled the top for a lot of native public broadcasting associates. The lower goes past simply accessing beloved exhibits like “Daniel the Tiger” and “Arthur.” Many consultants voiced issues that the lack of programming, which places instructional pointers on the forefront, might hit rural and lower-income households significantly arduous.
By Emily Tate Sullivan
The leap between early childhood educator and director of an early baby care middle is commonly so intimidating that many educators don’t try to maneuver up, regardless of it usually offering higher pay and hours. Registered apprenticeship applications started booming to repair that hole, providing a pathway to coach educators for management roles. Notably, Kentucky, Massachusetts and New Hampshire supply applications particularly made for rising leaders within the early schooling discipline — and the affect is already being seen.
By Emily Tate Sullivan
Enrollment continues to say no in conventional public colleges, due partly to the rise of recognition in digital colleges and constitution colleges buoyed by voucher applications. The end result: a number of massive, empty college buildings. However some districts, like in Oklahoma Metropolis and Tucson, are overhauling them to accommodate early studying applications as an alternative. What follows is a technique to deal with the rising want for baby care and a technique to lure in early childhood educators, because of district advantages.
5. Head Begin’s Future Is Unsure. Rural People Aren’t Prepared for What Occurs Subsequent.
By Claire Woodcock
Because the Head Begin program turned 60 in 2025, questions swirled about its future. This system, which has lengthy helped households dwelling at or under the poverty stage entry reasonably priced baby care and companies, noticed half of its regional workplaces shut this 12 months. For many of the 12 months, the destiny of its funding was unknown. Whereas Head Begin funding was later accredited, there was no enhance from earlier years — bringing concern from many. There’s a explicit fear in regards to the penalties for rural communities, the place 1 in 3 baby care applications is backed by Head Begin.
4. Examine: Children Endure as Almost Half of U.S. Households Wrestle to Meet Fundamental Wants
By Marianna McMurdock
Equally to our No. 8 story of the 12 months specializing in baby care suppliers, households themselves additionally struggled this 12 months to make ends meet. A report confirmed 4 in 10 households are experiencing materials hardship, which matches past short-term stress: It will probably harm kids’s studying long-term. Dad and mom’ stress can seep to their kids, inflicting despair and anxiousness. It will probably additionally trigger an overreliance on display screen time. The outcome: kids can have a studying hole of as much as a 12 months in comparison with these not experiencing hardship.
3. Why the Dire State of the Early Studying Workforce Is ‘Alarming and Not Shocking’
By Emily Tate Sullivan
Rising prices, workers shortages and low morale introduced the early childhood educator disaster to a head in 2025. In keeping with a report by the Nationwide Affiliation for the Training of Younger Youngsters, excessive rents and an uptick in property and legal responsibility insurance coverage charges has induced stagnant or low income for suppliers, prompting many applications to shutter. These working within the early childhood world aren’t shocked by these findings, however do imagine extra funding and motion — versus inaction — is required.
2. Idaho Strikes to Decontrol Little one Care in First-of-Its-Form Laws
By Emily Tate Sullivan
Idaho made main waves initially of the 12 months when it tried to turn into the primary within the nation to get rid of state-mandated child-to-teacher ratios, in a transfer it believed would assist the extreme scarcity of kid care openings. Many consultants have been fast to defend the ratios as important to serving to with the well being of kids and the standard of kid care. The amended invoice finally tweaked the ratio proposals, loosening, versus ridding, the necessities.
1. Why Don’t Early Childhood Applications Have Entry to Substitute Lecturers?
By Emily Tate Sullivan
As winter swings on, bringing with it inevitable illness, the Okay-12 system can depend on its massive infrastructure of substitute lecturers, however the early childhood sector has no such programming. Past chilly and flu season, this makes it troublesome for the already-burned-out lecturers in early studying to take a sick day or trip. Nonetheless, there are some efforts underneath manner, with many turning towards future full-time educators to fill the hole.
You may even see a few of my bylines above, and also you’ll be seeing extra of these in 2026 as I cowl extra early childhood schooling for EdSurge. If in case you have any suggestions, or simply need to say hiya, be happy to shoot me a be aware at lauren@edsurge.com.
