The Early Years Opportunity
Building a Strong Foundation
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What is the First 2000 Days Network?
The First 2000 Days Network is a collective response
of community members, organizations, professionals
with a passion for making progress on our vision:
All children from conception to six
are supported by family and community
in order to reach their optimal development.
What are your hopes and dreams
for our children?
… for our society?
“Child development is a foundation for community development
and economic development, as capable children become the
foundation of a prosperous and sustainable society… All aspects of
human capital, from work force skills to cooperative and lawful
behavior, build on capacities that are developed during childhood,
beginning at birth.”
The Science of Early Childhood Development,
National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, Harvard University
Why 2000 Days?
Lifetime affects on …
Learning
Behaviour
Health
How Brains are Built: The Core Story of
Brain Development
We know that…
Brains aren’t
just born,
they are built
over time.
Experiences
Build Brain
Architecture
Source:
Neurevolution.net
Experiences get wired into the brain
Synaptic Density
New Born
Early Childhood
Rethinking the Brain, Families and Work Institute,
Rima Shore, 1997.
Later Childhood
We know that …
a strong
foundation
supports all
future
development.
The brain is organized into specialized
functional areas
Source:
American Psychological Association,
Research in Brain Function and Learning
Sensitive periods for neural circuits
Source:
Urban Child Institute.org
We know that…
serve and return interactions are the
foundation for healthy brain development.
Babies brain “on” serve and return!
We know that…
stress impacts brain development.
Positive stress is part of healthy
development.
We know that…
toxic stress
can derail
healthy
development.
We also know…
a loving,
consistent
caregiver can
buffer a child from
the negative
impacts of stress.
We know that…
the brain’s
“air-traffic control system” needs
to be geared up as soon as possible.
Executive function and self-regulation are
the biological foundation for learning and
social behavior.
While lags in developing the “air traffic
control system” is associated with long
term struggles…
these these skills can be
taught and improved,
even into early adulthood!
We know that…
children can’t do this on their own…
…but together we can!
How can we act to ensure all children
reach their developmental potential?
What role can you play …
…in your home?
…in your community?
…in your workplace?
This presentation was created through
the support and collaboration of: