Succeeding in the first 1000 days PAY ATTENTION TO THE WHOLE CHILD

Why, despite our best efforts, do we still have children in Connecticut entering school behind their peers, not fully ready to learn and succeed? Right from the Start (RFTS) is a Connecticut initiative that evolved from the outcry of parents, early care providers, advocates and a range of community stakeholders for a coordinated comprehensive early care and education delivery system. We want a system where all Connecticut children receive the early education and development support they need.

Right From The Start conversations are bringing together people in communities throughout Connecticut to identify the best approaches to address four root causes that are not receiving enough attention.  We want a system : that builds a foundation for learning and development during a child’s first 1000 days – Early is Good, Earlier is Better with accessible health, mental health, and social-emotional development support – Pay Attention to the Whole Child provides all children regardless of race or economic background with the same opportunities – Mind the Opportunity Gaps where local communities are empowered to make effective decisions for their citizens – Support Local Community Action

Video Preview: Important ideas and themes:  Whole Child  Domains – cognitive learning, disabilities, literacy, art  Relationships  Exploring and discovery  Traumatic loss and grief  Risk factors

What would you tell your friends who asked you about this video?

SHOW VIDEO (INSERT STILL SHOT/LINK TO VIDEO)

What important ideas did you hear in this video? about what children need? about parents and families? about child care providers? about health care provides? about other services? Why is this important to you?

In our state, we cannot continue to “divide the child” into separate pieces to receive services. How can our communities ensure that services are well connected? How can the system work better to address the needs of the whole child? Three approaches suggest alternative ways to improve.

Approach A Make information easy to find to ensure families know about and understand the available services. Informed parents are empowered to be active partners with caregivers and service providers in their nurturing their child’s early development. “Parents know their children best and need information to make decisions and find the right services.”

Approach B: Provide every child with a medical home to identify needs early and coordinate services. Health, education and family support providers must make collaboration the norm and develop technologies and operating practices required to share information and collect data. “Different services and providers need to talk to each other and work together to meet ALL the needs of young children and families.”

Approach C: Public policy and state services must address root causes of poverty, early risk factors and community conditions that predict school failure, future incarceration, depression and violence. “Persistent poverty and isolation leave too many children without resources to meet their basic needs.”

WHICH IS OUR BEST OPTION FOR BUILDING A SYSTEM THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE WHOLE CHILD? CONSIDERING EACH APPROACH

Approach A: Make information easy to find to ensure families know about and understand the available services. Informed parents are empowered to be active partners with caregivers and service providers in their nurturing their child’s early development. What are the advantages of this approach? … the disadvantages of this approach?

Approach B: Provide every child with a medical home to identify needs early and coordinate services. Health, education and family support providers must make collaboration the norm and develop technologies and operating practices required to share information and collect data. What are the advantages of this approach? … the disadvantages of this approach?

Approach C: Make early care and education a public policy priority. Policy makers are responsible for how well the system works, for allocating funding and deciding how families and children are served. What are the advantages of this approach? … the disadvantages of this approach?

If you could choose only one of these approaches which would you choose? Why?

What was the most important idea you heard today? What do you like about that idea? Why is that important?

What did you learn or hear about today that you would like to know more about? Is there anything that you, individually, might do or do differently, as a result of today’s conversation? What would you like to see happen to follow up on today’s conversation?

(ADD THE LOCAL PLAN OF ACTION AND OPTIONS FOR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION)

We invite you to join our growing network. Go to our website: ◦ Share your thoughts, feelings, and insights in the Your Voice section.Your Voice ◦ Connect with others in53 Discovery communities working collaboratively to improve early childhood.53 Discovery communities ◦ Learn more in our Resource section.Resource