Building Childcare.fyi: Progressive Disclosure for Care Policy

Childcare policy is dense, legalistic, and hard to navigate. When I had to quit my job because of childcare costs, I ran into the same wall as everyone else: the policy exists, but it is not readable. The goal of Childcare.fyi is to make the care economy legible by pairing human stories with transparent data and a clear path from simple explanations to full legislative text.

The Problem

Families face:

  • Policy written in legalese with no clear impact summary
  • Fragmented information across federal, state, and local sources
  • Minimal visibility into who is affected and how

I needed a system that could make policy understandable without hiding the source material.

The Solution

Childcare.fyi is a Next.js platform that uses progressive disclosure to translate childcare and healthcare policy into four readable layers.

Progressive Disclosure Model

  1. ELI5 - Short, plain-language explanation
  2. Family Summary - Practical impact on caregivers
  3. Full Analysis - Policy details and context
  4. Legislative Text - Original bill text

Technical Highlights

  • Next.js 15 + React 19 with App Router
  • Supabase for bills, stories, and newsletter data
  • MDX essays with RSS generation
  • Anonymous story submission with moderation workflow
  • Two-environment strategy (staging + production) to protect content

Impact

  • Policy is readable at multiple depths
  • Stories humanize the data and make impact visible
  • Source links keep the system transparent and verifiable

What Makes It Different

Most policy sites either dump raw bills or publish dense analysis. Childcare.fyi starts with "what does this mean for my family?" and lets readers drill down as needed.

Tech Stack

  • Next.js 15, React 19
  • Supabase (PostgreSQL)
  • MDX, Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui
  • Vercel deployment

Current Status

Completed:

  • Bills database with disclosure fields
  • Story submission + moderation
  • Essay platform with RSS
  • Newsletter infrastructure

In Progress:

  • Representatives database
  • Bill-to-rep connections
  • Policy watch automation

What I Learned

Progressive disclosure is a powerful model for complex domains. Human stories are essential for turning policy into something people can act on, not just read.

Links

Caregivers cannot care if no one cares for the caregivers.