Child Care for Student Parents: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Policy and Politics in NYS

Abstract

This policy analysis dissertation explores the complex and multifaceted challenges that exist within New York State’s early childhood care and education (ECCE) system by critically examining the amendment of one NYS social services law. Guided by Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis, this study examines two research questions (under one overarching question):

1. What language and arguments are effective in making change in Early Childhood policy in NYS?

a. What is the policy discourse surrounding the amendment of subdivision 1 of section 410-w social services law in NYS?

b. What is the political discourse surrounding the amendment of subdivision 1 of section 410-w social services law in NYS?

This study is grounded in the understanding that early childhood is widely recognized as the most critical period of human development and that high-quality ECCE serves as a foundational role in individual and societal well-being, making ECCE an essential tool for promoting optimal societal growth and health. Providing quality ECCE benefits young children and their families and also strengthens communities and economies over time. Included in this foundation is the historical context of ECCE in the U.S., which reveals a longstanding pattern of privatization, underfunding, and inequality. The research and social realities call for a transformation, not only in how ECCE is structured and funded, but in how it is valued as a public good.

The amendment to the NYS social services law (2018), which addresses eligibility requirements for the receipt of child care assistance for post-secondary students, was analyzed using a critical discourse analysis to assess the presence of certain conditions that made it possible to pass this amendment, a much-needed improvement for children. The purpose of the analysis was to provide a critical review of the discourse (including the policy landscape, the political context, and the social elements surrounding ECCE policy in New York State) within the social and political reality to continue to make change in the future. The Critical Discourse analysis was used as a way to better understand the language and the values embedded within that language, which shape the larger political and public dialogue and decisions that affect families’ access to affordable, quality ECCE.

The dissertation includes an overview of the findings, including that early childhood policymaking is inherently ideological, deeply embedded with competing values, assumptions, and cultural narratives. Recommendations for the field are outlined, as well as implications for policymakers, advocates, and educators. It also identifies opportunities for developing and sharing policy tools with educational leaders. Future early childhood policy analysis of this type will help advocates, lawmakers, and practitioners evaluate the effectiveness of current policies, make changes, and write new policies that have the best outcomes for children and families.