Proximity Experts
Enduring the Current

Consider the everyday stories we heard from our initial group of proximity experts, which were backed up by the data we collected at numerous conferences and events. 

Administrators are trying to maintain consistent quality and manage businesses with very low margins. Educators are working from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., juggling multiple responsibilities ranging from teaching to serving lunch to supporting families. Families are struggling to find a quality program that’s a good fit for their child, particularly those children with special needs—not to mention affordable and convenient to their homes and workplaces.

These families, educators, and administrators face similar pain points. Am I choosing what is best for my child or just making do with what I can find or afford? When will I get off the waitlist? Did I waste my time as an early childhood educator earning poverty-level wages when I could have been working less and earning more elsewhere? Can I continue to sacrifice my well-being and still be a good educator? Was it worth it, as an administrator, to pay monthly bills with my credit card to keep my ECE program open? How will I support myself when I retire?

The Current Experience

• Community is strength
• Math that “doesn’t add up”
• Inconsistent quality
• Fragmented information
• Trade-offs and risks
• Lack of work/life balance
• Mistrust
• Confinement with limited options
• Time and resource scarcity
• Constant regulatory changes
• Top-down regulations
• Too many hats/roles
• Difficulty making child-centered and quality-centered decisions
• Fragmented and inequitable
• Advocacy only for self