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Early Childhood Development

Learning development starts long before a child begins kindergarten. A child’s development is strengthened through regular interaction and stimulation in both the home and in quality early learning settings.

Here are five things to know about child care and childhood development:

  1. The brain is most flexible and adaptable to learning during the earliest years of life. More than 1 million new neural connections are formed every second in the first few years of life. 
  2. Children are already rehearsing how to produce language at 7 months old.
  3. When a child enters kindergarten ready for school, there is an 82% chance they will master basic skills by age 11, compared with a 45% chance for children who are not school ready.
  4. High-quality early childhood education has a long-term effect on children’s cognitive and socioemotional development through kindergarten and beyond. It’s also shown to help children improve attentiveness, regulate their emotions, and develop social connections.
  5. Attending preschool is shown to reduce the likelihood that a child repeats a grade by 15%.

Learn more:

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Celebrating the Week of the Young Child!

April 15, 2020

This week, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is celebrating their annual Week of the Young Child. In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, this week …

News

FFYF Joins Home Visiting Coalition in Letter to Senate

April 6, 2020

Last week, FFYF joined with the Home Visiting Coalition Steering Committee to respond to a request for information from Senate Finance Committee Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Wyden on evidence-based …

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COVID-19 Recovery: Working Together as an Early Learning & Care Community

March 27, 2020

The following is a statement from a group of national early learning and care organizations committed to supporting the child care industry with information and resources about the COVID-19 economic …

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Task Force Celebrates Release of Early Childhood Education Profession Framework

March 11, 2020

Facilitated by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), fifteen national organizations released the Unifying Framework for the Early Childhood Education Profession. The framework was released this …

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What Do We Really Mean When We Talk About “Brain Science” in Early Childhood Development?

February 12, 2020

We often talk about brain science and the importance of healthy development in children, but what does that really mean? Check out our video based on the research of Dr. …

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Bank Street Education Center Hosts National Strategy Discussion on Early Childhood Educators

January 28, 2020

On Monday, the Bank Street Education Center (Bank Street) hosted an event to discuss their new research and new national vision to invest in the early learning workforce. The event …

News

‘The Brain Architects’: A New Early Childhood Development Podcast

January 9, 2020

The early years of a child’s life are the building blocks on which they will form intellectual, social, and emotional skills to last a lifetime. A new podcast aims to …

News

Congress Passes Bipartisan Bill to Boost Early STEM Learning Funding

December 11, 2019

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed the Building Blocks of STEM Act, a bipartisan, bicameral bill that instructs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to consider age distribution when …

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New Research Demonstrates the Importance of Early Learning — and What Comes After

November 19, 2019

In addition to the proven life-long benefits, the overwhelming research shows that children living in poverty who experience quality early childhood education programs are more prepared for school, both behaviorally …

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HHS Undertakes Nationwide Child Care Listening Tour

November 18, 2019

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) just wrapped up a nationwide, 10-city listening tour, which featured roundtable discussions with parents, employers, child care providers, states and localities, tribal …

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Celebrating STEM Education for Early Learners

November 8, 2019

Today, on National STEM Day, we commend bipartisan work being done in congress to promote STEM education for children of all ages. One bill in particular, the ‘Building Blocks of …

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Children in the 2020 Census: Funding for Federal Programs Tied to Accurate Census Count

November 5, 2019

Every 10 years, the Census Bureau at the U.S. Department of Commerce conducts a nationwide census to count all U.S. residents. Among other things, Census results determine how federal funds …

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