Early Childhood System Defined

A comprehensive early childhood system encompasses early care and education, health, mental health and family support and results in young children being ready for school and ready for life.

Why This Matters

What happens during the first months and years of life matters a great deal, not because it becomes an indelible blueprint for later life, but rather because it sets either a sturdy or fragile stage for what follows. Attention must be paid to early childhood development and experiences if children are to be ready for school and able to grow into competent, independent, nurturing adults, who can, in turn, successfully parent the next generation.

Required Coordinated Efforts

A child's ability to grow, develop, and learn is contingent upon many factors, among them the child's physical, social, and emotional health. Raising children who are healthy, happy, confident, and ready to learn requires the coordinated efforts of parents, other caregivers, teachers, and an array of state and community level supports. This in turn requires the active involvement of many disciplines and jurisdictions using a system rather than a categorical approach. This will facilitate the coordination and collaboration necessary to obtain the early childhood services and supports that are truly responsive to the needs of young children and their families.