https://www.doctorsforearlychildhood.org/home daily 1.0 2023-03-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/67f7ffee-ecd4-432c-8725-0b1ee62f14fe/larry-crayton-hOiDpAZ8Pok-unsplash.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/008c4242-2f2f-48fc-a75d-7910165c3040/shutterstock_329568131.jpg Home Parent Education is Essential There are many methods to encourage this sort of learning. While not difficult, unfortunately most new parents (and many childcare assistants) are not familiar with them—they need parent education! Stress and instability can also derail this learning. If the cells and connections of this rapidly growing, highly absorbent brain are not used and developed, they are actually “pruned” away, never to return. Without this foundation for learning, a young child’s development falls behind and the so-called “learning gap” has begun, long before formal schooling. A child’s vocabulary upon entering kindergarten can predict their likelihood of finishing high school. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/9df60934-5733-450d-9c85-c91a438870ca/shutterstock_1071133301.jpg Home Early childhood education does not need a classroom. Every experience in every waking hour is being “learned” and stored away. Tracking objects with one’s eyes, feeling warmth and encouragement from adults, moving one’s hands and fingers, crawling, walking, running, and turning summersaults are ALL part of early childhood education. Babies learn language by listening and repeating the new sounds and words they hear. Connections within the brain are formed and strengthened with each interaction with a calm, caring adult in a safe setting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/8877ada0-b5f2-4cf4-93b0-9f5b718d9ecb/shutterstock_1125901571.jpg Home Second, babies and children can’t speak up to demand the attention they need, nor can they make choices to relieve the stress and dangers in their surroundings. They can’t choose a childcare home or center with well paid workers, nor can they prevent their favorite friend from taking a better paying job at Walmart. Investing in Infant/Toddler Education Others must speak for them, but busy parents are stressed and need support from the rest of us. Few elected officials are willing to campaign for programs that show results years in the future however life-changing those successes may be. Babies don’t vote and their parents often can’t take time off from work to vote either. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/895934c5-6932-4b13-b6f8-42b6b2285b2f/shutterstock_603363293.jpg Home Once a child enters school, remedial classes try to make up for early learning that was missed, but it is much more difficult and expensive. Why not take advantage of the prime time for learning during the first three years? Public Policy Changes are Needed With such significant and long-lasting rewards, why does early childhood education get so little attention and such inadequate funding? For one thing, many parents, educators, and government officials are unaware of the science supporting the crucial importance of interactions with adults during a child’s first months and years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/0a42dc52-7d1e-4b2b-8b21-4d495c4664c6/shutterstock_1819046852.jpg Home Early Learning and Life-long Health Getting a poor start in early childhood increases the risk of many chronic health conditions later in life. Problems like obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart attack, stroke and shortened lives are often linked to economic and social stress. Substance abuse, despair and suicide are also more frequent. Although “children can’t wait” was first said in our state government in 1992, over a generation ago, children are still waiting. It’s time to change that. Make sure your elected officials know that this issue is critical to gaining/keeping your vote. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/f3fea852-5e3a-469c-a553-1da3ab46ac09/shutterstock_1070788175.jpg Home Help for the “Learning Gap” If we truly aim to prevent learning gaps and lifelong achievement gaps resulting from children arriving at school unready to learn, we know how to do it. If we want to avoid excess incarcerations resulting from illiterate school dropouts, we know how to do that too. We must invest fully in the foundational needs of very young children. The cost of quality childcare is similar to university tuition and beyond the means of most young parents. College-type loans are not available! Funding for all infants and toddlers is needed. We can achieve this if we fund early education for all infants and toddlers at a level like that is already provided to every child once they reach “school-age”—roughly $10,000 annually. This sort of investment is estimated to save at least $12 dollars for each dollar invested, and untold human costs and grief. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/a2548de5-44c1-4557-87d2-2c314f13a1e0/gabe-pierce-mLqWFEtlIEs-unsplash+%281%29.jpg Home - How can I help? Talk to friends and family about the importance of the 1st three years of life. Support family-friendly initiatives in your neighborhood/park/library. Contact your County Commissioner, state Representatives and Senators, and your Congressmen and women to ask for increased funding to benefit young children and families. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/bd44e724-ec11-4cec-aea3-f9061260af6f/We+are+guilty+of+many+errors+and+many+faults%2C+but+our+worst+crime+is+abandoning+the+children%2C+neglecting+the+fountain+of+life.+Many+of+the+things+we+need+can+wait.+The+child+cannot.+Right+now+is+the+time+his+bones+ar+%281%29.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/769f599f-fd50-41ba-8cda-7a90051c5313/Gabriela+Mistral Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/1647449842115-6D37XZFAYM4S4ZEWG474/zach-vessels-0mRerwRVqVA-unsplash.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/1652718947027-JP30VG181221FQI682Z2/kevin-liang-xBLv_ddXr8k-unsplash.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/1652718976816-XPC0WGBOG5ZYCSUPPBXU/Shutterstockpurchased.jpg Home https://www.doctorsforearlychildhood.org/contact daily 0.75 2022-09-12 https://www.doctorsforearlychildhood.org/what-we-do daily 0.75 2022-02-12 https://www.doctorsforearlychildhood.org/projects daily 0.75 2022-02-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3b3ed8084b6f00015405ba/1565292381043-ER9AOU1LISY7FVVCNVEQ/20140302_trade+151_0677.jpg Projects https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3b3ed8084b6f00015405ba/1565292406252-8560GSO2A1FLMFQVTG60/Aro+Ha_0073.jpg Projects https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3b3ed8084b6f00015405ba/1565292525597-WCO0DS8F9PHF2V1U45HY/20140228_Trade+151_0067+%281%29.jpg Projects https://www.doctorsforearlychildhood.org/new-page daily 0.75 2022-07-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607694583486-2PQT0LQ193RL7MCB6DX4/20140228_Trade+151_0046.jpg Connections https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607694644871-IC85FNH781UNZSZEGHDR/Aro+Ha_0428.jpg Connections https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607638148090-Y6OFDI575CM3NQV732RJ/Large+JPG-Aro+Ha_0387.jpg Connections https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607628784608-5D22G9GPLHDSAB2IXC2G/Large+JPG-Aro+Ha_0638.jpg Connections https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618497259178-6XJGK9GR6YAVBQL5L519/20140301_Trade-151_012-2.jpg Connections https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1589847743861-GWVMBPD7Z7WQRQL9IZZ8/Large+JPG-Aro+Ha_0380.jpg Connections https://www.doctorsforearlychildhood.org/new-page-1 daily 0.75 2022-07-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/1652719277690-DHY23UQB7IPN6IH9TDXE/Untitled+design.png Current Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/1652719367312-K141LDOABMX7T04MN33S/Untitled+design.png Current Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/1652722869162-SZAY6B6ZCGF32YMKALO5/Untitled+design.png Current Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/1652723156797-BCDZPDWLNSKU02J6S1P8/Untitled+design.png Current Science https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/1654617054606-4ARTTUNYWQWIR3LYN4Q3/Untitled+design.png Current Science https://www.doctorsforearlychildhood.org/our-work daily 0.75 2022-07-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/9b090656-67a8-4693-81bb-99f220d9271e/jonathan-borba-8C_IaqAujwM-unsplash.jpg What We Do - Our Mission We will communicate about and advocate for the lifelong importance of early childhood care and education to the public, lawmakers, government officials, educators, healthcare professionals, organizations, companies, corporations, and any with the power to create change for the better in pursuit of our vision. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/ac5f8e84-d550-455d-bf9a-ab52984a5749/jerry-wang-u98NbETbj4M-unsplash.jpg What We Do - Our Vision We envision a world in which all babies receive consistent caring interactions with trusted adults in a safe environment to allow their brains to develop to their full potential. We also envision babies and toddlers learning from well informed parents as first teachers and transitioning to quality childcare when needed to prepare for a lifetime of learning and fulfillment. https://www.doctorsforearlychildhood.org/who-we-are daily 0.75 2023-05-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aa91099cfc63389fdd0903/90085486-7a66-49d0-9b40-96cce8902382/IMG_3032.JPG https://www.doctorsforearlychildhood.org/contact-us daily 0.75 2022-09-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618497259178-6XJGK9GR6YAVBQL5L519/20140301_Trade-151_012-2.jpg Contact Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607694583486-2PQT0LQ193RL7MCB6DX4/20140228_Trade+151_0046.jpg Contact Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607694644871-IC85FNH781UNZSZEGHDR/Aro+Ha_0428.jpg Contact Us https://www.doctorsforearlychildhood.org/science-to-policy daily 0.75 2022-07-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618497259178-6XJGK9GR6YAVBQL5L519/20140301_Trade-151_012-2.jpg Science to Policy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607694583486-2PQT0LQ193RL7MCB6DX4/20140228_Trade+151_0046.jpg Science to Policy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607694644871-IC85FNH781UNZSZEGHDR/Aro+Ha_0428.jpg Science to Policy