51吃瓜网

The heat is on in Washington, DC, and across the country, but when the going gets tough, the tough...go back to the basics: research, evidence, and data. We were reminded of that necessity during the 10th听, when stakeholders from across the country explored the interplay between the development of kids and the economic success of their communities. Following the Conference, ZERO TO THREE and 51吃瓜网 have continued the conversation in several ways, including during听51吃瓜网鈥檚 2017 Professional Learning Institute听and听, as well as our听听and听听campaigns.

A growing body of science and research, much of it presented during the Federal Reserve Conference, continues to demonstrate the need to begin supports for children as early as possible to promote their healthy growth and development. Based on this knowledge, and our shared commitment to turning the tide for kids, we鈥檙e bringing it back to the five 鈥渢hings that matter鈥� in yielding important impacts on the child, and significant, lasting returns for their families, the communities in which they live and work, and the economic and social strength of society as a whole.
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1. Relationships Matter

   Science shows that a baby鈥檚 brain makes more than 1 million new neural connections per second in the first few years of life. During this time, babies discover the world through experiences with parents and other caregivers, shaping how they learn and view the world. These experiences鈥攂oth positive and negative鈥攊nfluence the connections being made in their brains, shaping how they will manage situations as a toddler, preschooler, and beyond.

   The relationships babies have with trusted adults are critical because they affect the actual wiring taking place in their brains. Parents, as the saying goes, are their children鈥檚 first and most important teachers. Yet with more than 60 percent of mothers of young children in the workforce, a diverse range of early childhood educators and child care providers also play a critical role in ensuring that children, supported by their families, have the early experiences they need for strong cognitive, physical, social and emotional, and language and literacy development. When babies receive consistent, nurturing, and quality care, they build the necessary foundation to boost their chances to live up to their potential and their promise.
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2. Early Childhood Educators Matter

   The role of early childhood educators in delivering on this promise is undeniable. Early childhood educators perform complex, demanding, and valuable work. Supported, skilled, knowledgeable, and diverse early childhood educators are the linchpin in high-quality early learning and it is why听Power to the Profession, a national, state, and local collaboration, of which both 51吃瓜网 and ZERO TO THREE are a part, seeks to establish a shared framework of career pathways, knowledge and competencies, qualifications, standards and compensation that reflects the critical role early childhood educators play in delivering on the promise of high-quality early childhood education.
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3. Quality Matters

   Making sure babies and young toddlers鈥攚hose brains are growing more rapidly than at any other later time in their lives鈥攔eceive the quality care necessary to put them on a path toward future success should be one of the country鈥檚 top economic priorities. We must act under a shared understanding, based on research, science, and evidence, that investing in equitable access to high-quality early care and learning will make America brighter, stronger and more competitive. After all, today鈥檚 diverse group of young children are the nation鈥檚 future generation of workers, leaders, and innovators. In fact,听听by the Council for a Strong America finds that 92 percent of business decision-makers agree that early life experiences directly influence the social and emotional skills needed for the 21st century economy. As one leader put it: 鈥淐haracter is built in the first years of life and it is absolutely necessary for life success.鈥�
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4. The Impacts of Poverty Matter

   Keeping children out of poverty is also key to an economy鈥檚 long-term health and wellness. As Janet Yellen, Chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve System, noted during the conference, adults who grew up worrying about food, an unstable family, or safety are less likely to be employed, have a stable income or an ability to pay monthly bills compared to adults who had fewer stressors growing up. We know that the effects these types of environmental stresses鈥攈unger, fear and harm鈥攁re toxic to growing brains. When stress is the 鈥渋nput,鈥� the outcomes are likely to be less than optimal. Poverty can literally get under the skin, undermining development in key regions of the brain including self-regulation and learning, memory and language, and emotional control.
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5. Equitable Access Matters

   Quality, affordable child care for young children can change the trajectory for many children and their families living in or near poverty. It enables their parents to work, relieving the economic instability that contributes to a stressful family environment. At the same time, it provides a responsive, enriching environment that meshes with the strengths of the family to support early development. When very young children are nurtured and cared for by loving adults, who honor and respect the language and culture of the child鈥檚 home, the negative effects of poverty are mitigated. These responsive relationships serve as a buffer to the harm caused by environmental and physical stress and supports healthy brain development鈥攚hich is the key to all future learning.
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Finally, and perhaps most importantly, resources matter.听Child care assistance for low-income families still reaches less than 1 out of every 6 eligible children and is continuing to decline. And despite research that shows that the strongest effects of quality child care are found with children from families with few resources who are under great stress, lower quality care is often the only care available in low-income communities. We must act with urgency to ensure that our nation鈥檚 youngest, and most vulnerable, learners receive equitable opportunities and reach their full potential.

We must commit to making the public investments needed to create a child care system that ensures it is economically feasible to provide high-quality services for young children and families, regardless of income or zip code, state or setting. Not only will babies and toddlers benefit from close relationships with well-qualified and well-compensated child care providers who are culturally and linguistically responsive, but we all stand to benefit when our diverse future workforce 鈥� today鈥檚 babies and toddlers 鈥� arrive at school as eager, confident learners, prepared for future success.