Our Team

Alyssa Rafa, MA

Policy Manager

Alyssa is a Policy Manager at the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center. In her role, she leads the early care and learning team in researching, tracking and reporting on policies that support equitable outcomes for young children and their families. She also contributes to the development of the annual State Policy Roadmap.

Prior to this role, Alyssa spent several years leading and conducting policy research at Education Commission of the States. While at ECS, she worked on issues ranging from early childhood education to school climate and student health. Her work included researching and developing 50-state policy analyses and reports, consulting with and presenting to state policymakers, and designing and organizing convenings of education leaders. Alyssa holds an MA in International Studies from the University of Denver and a BA in Political Science from California State University, San Bernardino.

Alyssa lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and two young kids. Outside of work, Alyssa enjoys hiking and canoeing with her family, visiting local breweries, experimenting with new recipes, and watching all the sports.

Authored Content

The demand for subsidized child care slots varies considerably across communities. In many states, however, the supply of such slots is severely limited. Many families who qualify for subsidies are unable to use them because
In addition to conducting research and evaluating evidence, at the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, we also track state legislation and administrative action impacting young children and their families. These efforts provide us with context to