Janna Wagner

Co-founder-in-Residence & Senior Advisor

United States

Janna Wagner is an educator, coach, and nonprofit leader based in New Haven, Connecticut. She co-founded All Our Kin in 1999 and led the organization for over two decades before stepping down from her staff role in December 2025. In 2024, she received the Heinz Award for the Economy, along with the Yale Jefferson Award and the Peter Jennings Award for Civic Leadership. She teaches at Yale, where her course covers child care and public policy, and works as a coach.

Portfolio
NAEYC
Using Wordless Picture Books with Infants and Toddlers

Storytelling is rooted in gestures, images, and shared experiences. Long before humans developed writing systems, they shared stories orally and through the images they painted on walls, structures, and pottery.

Heinzawards
Jessica Sager & Janna Wagner

Dedicated to giving home-based, family child care educators the resources to create quality early childhood environments and run successful small businesses.

CT Mirror
03/06/2017
At a time of budget crisis, funding for child care must be a priority

On February 21, parents and advocates gathered at the capitol to testify to the legislature on the importance of Care4Kids, Connecticut's child care subsidy program, which provides critical assistance to help low-income working parents pay for child care. Since August, new parents can no longer qualify for support, unless they receive TANF dollars; under Gov.