The original name of Exchange magazine was a bit longer: Child Care Information Exchange. The publication’s goal was exactly that—to facilitate an exchange of ideas and information among program directors and leaders in our field.
We rebranded years ago, but our core mission remains the same.

If you are a regular reader of Exchange magazine, hopefully you see this objective play out across the pages of the magazine every two months. We strive to provide a balance of content that reflects the great diversity of our readers and contributors—geographic diversity, diversity in background, veteran authors and new voices, and pieces that speak to center directors, family child care providers, advocates, and teacher trainers. In each issue, we curate a mix of short, practical pieces with ideas for the classroom, deep dives into research, and philosophical articles that push us all to think in new ways.

We publish these articles for our readers, of course, but equally importantly, we amplify these ideas in order to ensure that we are setting ourselves up to bring our best to the children in our lives. As my colleague Kirsten Haugen recently wrote, “Regardless of any of our personal beliefs, many issues touch the lives of young children who come into our care. Young children will experience, notice, think and talk about these things. We will meet families and work with colleagues with entirely different experiences and beliefs from our own. Our readers tell us how often they are caught off guard and unprepared for these moments, and so at Exchange Press, we believe it is valuable to share ideas, educate ourselves, and personally reflect on especially the most challenging issues—before we come face to face with them in the classroom or in any confrontational ways. In every case, our compass is each child’s experience of their rights to be seen, heard, respected, cared for, and accepted by loving, thoughtful, grounded adults. We work hard to be a platform for diverse topics and perspectives, and trust that each of our readers will find something of value to apply to their work.”

As you dive into this first issue of 2022, I hope you find yourself inspired and challenged to explore new practices or, perhaps, revisit your thinking on a topic you have considered many times. We are kicking off the new year with a special emphasis on LOVE, and the many ways love is (or can be) infused into our daily work. Keep an eye out for “Love Notes” from our Exchange team (and some of our favorite authors,) sprinkled throughout this special issue.

With love,

Sara Gilliam