Early Childhood Policy
Associate Director, Early Childhood Policy · She/Her
Center for American Progress
Dr. Gibbs researches the social and economic benefits of investing in early child care and education, advocates for educational equity through child care access and infrastructure, and examines best practices in supporting children's learning. Her work bridges rigorous academic research and actionable policy.
Background
Hailey Gibbs is the Associate Director of Early Childhood Policy at the Center for American Progress, where her work focuses on the social and economic benefits of investing in early child care and education, promoting equity through child care access and infrastructure, and best practices in supporting children's learning.
She has written for Medium and The Conversation, and has contributed to the Brookings Institution's Education Plus Development blog. Her scholarly work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, Cognitive Development, and Child Development.
Prior to joining American Progress, Dr. Gibbs served as a postdoctoral researcher at the Temple University Infant and Child Lab under Dr. Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek, contributing to the Playful Learning Landscapes initiative — a project focused on expanding equity-based, culturally relevant learning opportunities in public spaces.
Academic Training
Ph.D., Human Development
University of Maryland
B.A., Psychology
Salisbury University
Career
Associate Director, Early Childhood Policy
Center for American Progress · Washington, DC
Leads policy research on child care and early education, with a focus on equity, access, and economic investment in the early childhood system. Work informs federal and state policy discussions on child care affordability, Head Start, and climate impacts on early learning settings.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Temple University Infant and Child Lab · Philadelphia, PA
Conducted research under Dr. Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek on the Playful Learning Landscapes initiative, expanding equity-based, culturally relevant learning opportunities in public spaces. Published findings in leading developmental science journals and a special handbook edition, Teaching Human Development for Educators, of the American Educational Research Association.
For a full work history, visit LinkedIn →
Center for American Progress
America’s Licensed Child Care Deserts in 2025
Online web interactive showcasing licensed child care deserts across the country, overlaid with demographic variables, including the percent of the population in poverty, median household income, percent of the population that identifies as Black, non-Hispanic, and the percent of the population that identifies as Hispanic/Latino.
America’s Licensed Child Care Deserts
Eight years after our initial report, CAP’s 2026 analyses of U.S. licensed child care supply reveal that just fewer than half of the nation's young children still live in child care deserts.
Executive Summary: America’s Licensed Child Care Deserts
Lawmakers must address the nation’s child care supply crisis; according to CAP’s 2026 analysis, nearly half of young children are in licensed child care deserts, with rural areas facing the worst shortages.
Measuring America’s Licensed Child Care Supply
Analysis conducted in 2025 measuring families’ access to child care programs, a crucial first step to mitigating the child care supply crisis.
The Trump Administration’s Changes to the Child Care and Development Fund Would Strip Families of Thousands of Dollars in Potential Child Care Savings
Analysis of the impact of removing a 7 percent cap on child care copayments that would put much-needed relief from rising child care costs out of reach for families in 10 states.
CAP Comments on HHS' Notice Rolling Back Progress Toward Improving Child Care Assistance for Low-Income Families
Comment letter opposing HHS efforts to roll back progress toward paying child care providers more fairly and lowering costs for families.
Trump's Attack on Child Care Funding Undermines Early Educators, Shortchanges Children, and Increases Costs for Families
Analysis of the Trump administration's effort to freeze essential child care funding using allegations of fraud in Minnesota.
Head Start Is a Model for Supporting Child and Family Mental Health
Amid a pronounced youth mental health crisis, examines how Head Start addresses the needs of vulnerable young children and families.
Child Care Professionals Are on the Front Lines as Climate Change Risks Children's Health and Development
As the climate changes and federal rollbacks to disaster relief mount, early educators face an increasingly untenable landscape requiring state and local action.
CAP Comments on HHS' Notice Affecting Head Start Eligibility Criteria
Comment letter opposing HHS' unprecedented requirement for Head Start programs to verify citizenship status for family eligibility.
Debunking Myths About Head Start: How the Program Promotes Opportunity and Strengthens Families, Communities, and Economies
Decades of research illustrate Head Start's effectiveness and the crucial role it plays in state and local economies.
A Path Forward on Child Care Regulation: Differentiating Between Harmful Deregulation and Helpful Reform
States can make child care licensing reforms that ease burdens on providers and improve access — without endangering child health and safety.
About Extreme Heat, We Need to Prioritize Children
Op-ed in InsideSources highlighting proven strategies that communities and policymakers can adopt to better mitigate the deadly effects of extreme heat for young children and infants.