Stepping Into the Work: A New Chapter for Early Childhood Leadership

In late March, Cohort 15 of the Buell Early Childhood Leadership Program began their journey, bringing together leaders from across sectors to rethink how we show up for early childhood.

This program was designed with a clear purpose: to support leaders as catalysts for systems change, not just within early childhood, but across the systems that shape our communities, workforce, and economy. This program was built with intention: to develop leaders who challenge and redefine how organizations and industries value early childhood—building ecosystems that position it as foundational to economic vitality, shift mindsets, and influence policies that better align childhood development with our economy—so we can radically rebuild integrated early childhood systems and remove barriers so that all children thrive.

In Colorado, the childcare crisis costs an estimated $2.7 billion annually. Nearly 44% of the workforce are parents who depend on access to care. These are not just early childhood challenges. They are workforce challenges, business challenges, and community challenges.

But for decades, early childhood professionals have carried the weight of this challenge alone with deep expertise, fierce dedication, and often limited resources. They have built the foundation. They have understood the stakes. And they have consistently called for broader awareness and shared responsibility.

The Buell Early Childhood Leadership Program took a purposeful pause to redesign the experience with a stronger emphasis on action over academics, while bringing more voices into the work and strengthening cross-sector leadership.

As the event came to a close, that intention came to life in a conversation between participants. An early childhood professional shared this reflection with a fellow participant who entered the program without a traditional early childhood background:

“Understanding that you have stepped into a role as an advocate and systems builder in your community, not with an early childhood background, and as part of this framework, it speaks to how everyone has a role and connection to early childhood. I appreciate that you’re amplifying that and bringing it into your community.”

That is what cross-sector leadership looks like. It is not stepping over the work that has been done, but stepping into it and carrying it forward.

Everyone has a role to play.

The question is whether we are ready to step into it.

As Cohort 15 begins this work, we are already looking ahead. Applications for Cohort 16 will open later this year. If you are interested in being part of a growing network of leaders committed to driving meaningful change, we invite you to stay connected.