The Early Years OpportunityBuilding 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 …

LearningBehaviour

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

Rethinking the Brain, Families and Work Institute, Rima Shore, 1997.

New Born Early Childhood Later Childhood

Experiences get wired into the brain Synaptic Density

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?

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