Joy Cohen, M.Ed.

Joy has dedicated her career to improving the health, safety, wellbeing, development, and education of children. As Deputy Director at CCWT, Joy brings a teaching background, an ability to think outside the box to identify innovative solutions to problems, and a functional knowledge of how to design effective and engaging instruction for children, youth, and adults.

Prior to joining CCWT, Joy was the Director of Policy Development at the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care where she led the development and implementation of the agency’s policies and procedures. In this role, Joy worked collaboratively with stakeholders to identify emerging policy issues, pressure test potential policy solutions, and develop sound, data-informed policies focused on health and safety in early education and care settings, accessibility of the child care financial assistance system, and the reduction of administrative burdens for early childhood educators and programs.

At the core of Joy’s professional portfolio is a commitment to serve diverse communities with empathy, respect, humility, and creativity. She prioritizes accessibility, equity, and inclusion in all of her professional efforts and understands the value of community voice. Joy earned a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Lesley University and a bachelor’s degree in child development from Connecticut College.