Why is it so hard to find high-quality, affordable child care in the United States? And what would it take to fix it?

Child Care Matters: Built to Break is a new narrative podcast from BridgeCare that shines a light on America’s early education system and what it will take to rebuild it. Across eight episodes, host and CEO of BridgeCare, Jamee Herbert, speaks with industry experts, parents, and providers to unpack how this system of systems has reached a breaking point.

From outdated regulations and workforce shortages to funding gaps and technology barriers, each episode explores a piece of a system that touches nearly every family, yet remains deeply misunderstood. We’ll move from what’s broken to what’s possible, spotlighting the people and ideas driving real change.

For parents, finding affordable child care can feel impossible. For child care providers, keeping their doors open can feel unsustainable.

The child care system in America touches every working family, but it often feels impossible to navigate. In the first episode of Child Care Matters: Built To Break, host Jamee Herbert, CEO of BridgeCare, asks the most basic question that many parents are asking themselves right now: why is it so hard to find high-quality, affordable child care?

In this episode you’ll find out why opening and running a child care program can feel like a maze of regulation, why the market is being run as a private market and the friction that causes, and how the emotional toll that comes with finding reliable child care can be a significant burden for families.

This isn’t just an inefficient system; it’s one that’s being stretched to its breaking point. This podcast will shed more light on how we got here and what we can do to fix it.

In this episode:

Wendy Doyle — President & CEO of United WE.

Simon Workman — Co-founder & Principal, Prenatal to Five Fiscal Strategies

Sonja Castañeda-Cudney — Parent (Los Angeles)

Child Care Matters: Built to Break examines America’s early childhood system from the perspectives of parents, providers, and experts, one piece of the puzzle at a time.If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who’s navigating child care right now, and follow the show so you don’t miss the next chapter of the series. For more information, go to getbridgecare.com