Erica Phillips serves as Deputy Chancellor of the Division of Early Childhood Education. In that role, she oversees birth to five education, including 2-K, 3-K, and Pre-K, as well as the implementation of NYC Reads in early childhood classrooms.
Erica brings more than 20 years of experience across early childhood and K–12 education, business, and nonprofit leadership. Throughout her career, she has worked at the intersection of child development, community engagement, and economic empowerment—building equitable systems that help children thrive, strengthen families and communities, and create meaningful opportunities for educators and caregivers.
Most recently, Erica served as Executive Director of the National Association for Family Child Care, where she led national efforts to strengthen home-based early learning and elevate family child care educators as essential partners in the early childhood system. Under her leadership, NAFCC quadrupled its annual budget, expanded its reach from approximately 4,000 to 40,000 educators and partners, strengthened its national advocacy and accreditation work, and developed new partnerships and leadership pathways for educators across the country.
Previously, Erica served as President and Chief Impact and Operating Officer of All Our Kin, a nationally recognized early childhood organization. During her eight years there, she helped grow the organization from $1.5 million to $11.5 million, led a multidisciplinary team of more than 60 people, and expanded its programs into new communities. She also founded Second Home Early Child Care Centers and led human capital strategy at Achievement First, supporting a network of nearly 40 public charter schools and approximately 1,600 employees. Erica began her career as a strategy consultant at Monitor Group.
Erica’s professional commitment to early childhood is deeply personal. As the daughter and granddaughter of caregivers and early educators, she learned at a young age that trusted, nurturing relationships can shape a child’s life and strengthen an entire family. As a wife and mother of two young daughters, she also understands firsthand the hopes families hold for their children and the challenges they face in accessing affordable, high-quality care and education.
Erica holds an MBA and a master’s degree in education from Stanford University and a BS in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University. She is an alumna of the Aspen Institute’s Ascend Fellowship, the Pahara Fellowship, and Education Pioneers.
