1. Towards Early Success Including Babies and Toddlers in Early Education Presentation by Joan Lombardi, Ph.D. Governor’s Forum on Quality Preschool December, 2003

2. Points to discuss What do we know about early development and babies and toddlers? Early Childhood Development 0-3 A Policy Framework Next steps for policymakers

3. Early development…. The foundation for good health is established in the earliest years Babies are born learning The domains of development are integrated (social, emotional, cognitive, language, physical) The rate of development varies in children Infants and toddlers learn through relationships

4. What is predictive of later success? Parent-child relationship (attachment) Family context Income Maternal Education Family stress/parental mental health Early Experience Language experience Early child care quality Maternal sensitivity Health Birth outcomes Lead poisoning Nutrition Receipt of preventive care Source: Teresa Hawley, Ph.D

5. Babies and toddlers today… 4 million babies born each year 12 million infants and toddlers in the United States More than 2 million infants and toddlers live in poverty Infants are the fastest growing group in foster care Source: America’s Babies, The ZEROTOTHREE Policy Center Data Book

6. Increasing number of infants and toddlers are in non parental care on a regular basis Source:NIEER: based on National Center for Education Statistics, 200l, National Household Data Files,l999

7. Increasing diversity Source: Calculated by Donald J Hernandez from US Census Bureau, 2000 Census

8. Research says start early.. Early Head Start evaluation demonstrated that we can improve cognitive, language and social skills; health; parenting and family self sufficiency We have the best results when programs are well implemented (follow standards), focus on parents as well as children, are started early (during the prenatal period) Many children from low income families enter preschool already behind

12. Next steps for policymakers Build public awareness about the importance of the 0-3 period and early success Create a blueprint for early education that includes children 0-5 (New York) Include a set-aside for infants and toddlers in any pre-k initiative (Illinois) Expand Early Head Start (Kansas) Launch special initiatives around poorly performing schools focused on infants and toddlers (parent education, developmental screening and follow-up, improved child care)

13. Resources Better Baby Care Campaign www.betterbabycare.orgwww.betterbabycare.org ZEROTOTHREE Policy Center www.ZEROTOTHREE.org www.ZEROTOTHREE.org National Partnership for Women and Families www.nationalpartnership.org www.nationalpartnership.org I Am Your Child Foundation www.iamyourchild.orgwww.iamyourchild.org Civitas www.civitas.orgwww.civitas.org Talaris Research Institute www.talaris.orgwww.talaris.org