2024 Beat Reporting (Education-Only Outlets) Winner

About the Winner:

Jackie Mader, who has covered early childhood education for nearly a decade, dug deep into the realities of a child care system in which it’s difficult to be a child and caregiver as well as potential solutions. 

For example, Jackie delved into how, instead of investing more in their child care programs to fix pandemic-related closures and staffing shortages as some states were doing, nearly a dozen others did the opposite. 

They quietly pushed through legislation to strip the child care industry of its most effective health, safety and quality guardrails, such as putting teens as young as 14 to work in child care classrooms. This deregulation trend went unnoticed until Jackie brought it to light. 

Comments From the Judges:

“I loved Jackie’s approach to these wide-ranging stories that held state officials accountable. Her package featured strong investigative work, ambitious storytelling (with a trip to Oslo!) and a useful utility piece on ballot measures. She took on early childhood education from all sides, with a thoughtful and illuminating package.”

“Strong narrative and accountability reporting on a topic within education that is often not treated with the gravitas it deserves. From quick-hit election night coverage to deeply reported investigations that took her to Norway, her coverage has it all — a mark of a skilled, well-versed reporter who truly understands her beat and audience.”

Photo credit: Jackie Mader/The Hechinger Report