Katie Kurutz-Ulloa | First 5 LA Communications Specialist

March 28, 2023

Daisy Nguyen covers Early Childhood Education and Care for KQED. She previously covered breaking news for The Associated Press. During her 21 years there, her feature stories focused on transportation, climate change and agriculture. Her newspaper experience included internships at the St. Paul Pioneer Press in Minnesota, the Arlington Star-Telegram in Texas, the Contra Costa Times in Walnut Creek and Sud Ouest in Southwestern France. She lives in Oakland with her son, daughter and husband. 

What drew you to the early childhood beat? 

The public is paying more attention to early childhood. I think this is a good time to elevate stories concerning young children and the people responsible for their well-being and hold accountable the people whose decisions affect their future.  

From your perspective, how has media coverage of pregnancy, young children and child care changed over time? 

I see a higher volume of stories about pregnancy, young children and child care because of the urgency surrounding alarming rates of maternal mortality and preterm births in the U.S. and the child care industry’s slow pandemic recovery, which is putting a burden on caregivers and hampering women’s ability to go back to work. I also think we need to keep track of the pandemic’s effects on young children and their development.   

What do you hope changes about the coverage of “women’s issues” and early childhood development in the future? 

This beat intersects with so many pressing issues, including socioeconomic, gender and racial disparities in our society. I hope more coverage will lead to better awareness — because “women’s issues” should be everyone’s issues — and people recognizing the importance of early childhood development. 

Recent stories:   




Celebrating Home Visiting in LA

Celebrating Home Visiting in LA

By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer May 22, 2025 Opening your home to a stranger can be scary. Especially if you're a new mom.   Just ask Dani. After the birth of her son, she got a call from a parent educator asking if she'd like to participate in a home visiting...

Conversations That Count: Encouraging Bilingualism in Young Learners

Conversations That Count: Encouraging Bilingualism in Young Learners

By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer April 22, 2025 The young boy is talking about cognates.   "I know some words in Spanish," Mateo tells the nice lady sitting next to him in the booth. "When we watch these videos, they show the word first in English and then, at the...

FIRST 5 LA BOARD EXPLORES INITIATIVE 3: MATERNAL & CHILD WELL-BEING

FIRST 5 LA BOARD EXPLORES INITIATIVE 3: MATERNAL & CHILD WELL-BEING

By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer May 22, 2025 First 5 LA’s Board of Commissioners Meeting was convened on May 8. Highlights of the meeting included a discussion on the proposed First 5 LA budget for the new fiscal year; a presentation on First 5 LA’s Maternal &...

AANHPI Heritage Month 2025: Leadership and Resilience

AANHPI Heritage Month 2025: Leadership and Resilience

Hello! Aloha! Kumusta! Xin chào! May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. Originally established as a weeklong observance in 1978 and expanded to a month in 1992, this annual celebration is a valuable opportunity to honor...

Janitorial Services Request for Qualifications (RFQ)

POSTING DATE: APRIL 29, 2025 DUE DATE: MAY 14, 2025 at 5:00 pm Pacific Time (PT) UPDATE(S): May 13, 2025  The section QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS was updated to reflect that no questions were received, accordingly, no Questions and Answers document will be posted.  ELIGIBLE...

Women’s History Month: Alma Cortes, Ed.D.

Women’s History Month: Alma Cortes, Ed.D.

April 8, 2025 In celebration of Women’s History Month and this year’s theme — Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations — First 5 LA is shining a spotlight on remarkable women leading the way in early childhood education (ECE). In this bio...

Help Me Grow LA: Connecting the Dots to Healthy Child Development

Help Me Grow LA: Connecting the Dots to Healthy Child Development

By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer March 27, 2025 Shakur was 2 when he started crossing his fingers. It happened a lot. His mom, Brooklynn, noticed that the behavior happened every time they visited the local park. That's when she did some sleuthing online and...

Translate