Afton Partners

After 20 years leading local, state, and national cross-sector work focused on creating and implementing policies and programs for early care and education, special education, and multilingual education, Erin Arango-Escalante started All Children Thrive. Erin’s dream is for all communities to offer young children and their families the services and supports they need to be connected, safe, and healthy; economically secure; and equipped for lifelong learning and success. At the core of All Children Thrive, and in her work as a 2022 Ascend Fellow at The Aspen Institute, Erin collaborates with parents, educators, advocates, community leaders, and policymakers to support and elevate individuals with lived experience in decision-making roles to ensure policies and programs meet the needs of all children and families.

Previously, Erin was an appointed Administrator of the Division of Early Care and Education at the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) overseeing early care and education policies, systems, funding, and supports. In her role, Erin was responsible for leading all aspects of the child care system as well as related programs and initiatives – Parent/Caregiver Equity Advisory Cabinet, Head Start State Collaboration Office, Governor’s Early Childhood Advisory Council, Preschool Development Grants, and more.

Prior to joining DCF, Erin focused on developing, implementing, and overseeing programs centered on equity and inclusion for culturally and linguistically diverse children, families, educators, and leaders. Erin was a leader at WIDA, a national education consortium of 41 states and territories focused on multilingual learners. She served as the Wisconsin IDEA Part B 619 Coordinator, an Executive Director for diverse early care and education programs in Wisconsin and New York, and an educator for children, students, and adults in various settings.

Erin is married, has two children, lives on a hobby farm, and is involved in the Latino and Veteran communities in Wisconsin.