ELSA JACOBSEN AND KATHLYN MCHENRY JOIN EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION CONSORTIUM'S STATE POLICY TEAM

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC) welcomes Elsa Jacobsen and Kathlyn McHenry to its team as directors of state policy and government relations. Together they will help oversee ECEC's government relations operations in over a dozen states, track state-level legislative and regulatory developments on issues related to early childhood education and help develop advocacy strategies to engage key stakeholders on ECEC's policy goals.

"Elsa and Kathlyn are amazing additions to our team. They will both help elevate ECEC's state work through their strategic insight into the policy landscape. They will be a major part of our continuing efforts to forward the objectives of ECEC and our partners," said Radha Mohan, ECEC's executive director. "They provide long-term experience working on early childhood education with a wide range of lawmakers in state legislatures and executive offices. With their addition to the team, I am confident that ECEC will be able to make significant strides on helping providers, educators and families advance their goals on the state level."

Jacobsen previously served as director of public policy at Child360, an early learning non-profit in Los Angeles. In this position she developed and executed strategies to advance policies at the local, state and federal levels that increased access to high-quality early education and supported the early childhood workforce. She also conducted original research that informed policy and that highlighted, for legislators, the perspectives of both teachers and child care providers. Prior to her work at Child360, Jacobsen served as a law clerk with Young, Minney & Corr, LLP where she worked on a host of education issues for over 75 charter school clients. She also served an Education Pioneers Fellowship with the California Charter Schools Association and a Bing Public Service Fellowship in the office of the late Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA).

"I am thrilled to join ECEC's dynamic team," said Jacobsen. "I'm excited to work with my colleagues to refine and expand ECEC's multi-state strategy and to advocate for smart policies that expand access to high-quality early childhood education."

Jacobsen earned her bachelor's degree as well as her master's in education policy analysis and evaluation from Stanford University, and her law degree from the J. Reuben Clark Law School.

McHenry served as a senior policy analyst with the Texas Workforce Commission's Child Care and Early Learning Division where she oversaw the implementation of a $3.5 billion child care stabilization grant. She simultaneously developed and reviewed policy approaches and ensured the state was aligned with federal law and regulation. This followed her time with the Bipartisan Policy Center's Early Childhood Initiative, where she developed and delivered strategic approaches to government affairs, including establishing visibility and credibility of the Initiative with Congress and the administration. Kathlyn also spent several years at the Committee on Education and Labor in the U.S. House of Representatives, working on programs including CCDBG, Head Start and Preschool Development Grants.

"I am more than excited to hit the ground running with ECEC," said McHenry. "I am impressed by the work that the team has already accomplished in making sure all families have access to high-quality childcare and early education. I can't wait to be a part of these efforts in the future."

She received her bachelor's degree from University of Washington.

About ECEC:
The Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC) is a non-profit alliance of the leading multi-state/multi-site child care providers, key state child care associations, and premier educational service providers, representing over 6,500 programs in 48 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and select international locations. Our members serve as the unified collective voice for providers of high-quality programs and services that support families and children from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. We are advocates for strong federal and state policies that bring quality to scale.

SOURCE Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC)