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From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development
Pages 1-20

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From page 1...
... to From Neurons Neighborhoods The Science of Early Childhood Development Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development rack P Shonkoff and Deborah A
From page 3...
... GROSS, Department of Pediatrics (emeritus) , Stanford University Medical School MEGAN GUNNAR, Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota MICHAEL GURALNICK, Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington ALICIA F
From page 5...
... Professional service providers continue to search for new knowledge to inform their work. Consequently, one of the distinctive features of the science of early childhood development is the extent to which it evolves under the anxious and eager eyes of millions of families, policy makers, and service providers who seek authoritative guidance as they address the challenges of promoting the health and well-being of young children.
From page 6...
... increasing cultural diversity and the persistence of significant racial and ethnic disparities in health and developmental outcomes; 4) growing numbers of young children spending considerable time in child care settings of highly variable quality, starting in infancy; and (5)
From page 7...
... 2. Culture influences every aspect of human development and is reflected in childrearing beliefs and practices designed to promote healthy adaptation.
From page 8...
... 6. The broad range of individual differences among young children often makes it difficult to distinguish normal variations and maturational delays from transient disorders and persistent impairments.
From page 9...
... Redressing these disparities is critical, both for the children whose life opportunities are at stake and for a society whose goals demand that children be prepared to begin school, achieve academic success, and ultimately sustain economic independence and engage constructively with others as adult citizens. · Early child development can be seriously compromised by social, regulatory, and emotional impairments.
From page 10...
... Expanded opportunities for professional training, as recently called for by the Surgeon General, and incentives for individuals with pertinent expertise to work in settings with young children are essential first steps toward more effective screening, early detection, treatment, and ultimate prevention of serious childhood mental health problems. Early Environments Matter and Nurturing Relationships Are Essential The scientific evidence on the significant developmental impacts of early experiences, caregiving relationships, and environmental threats is incontrovertible.
From page 11...
... Yet the daily experiences of a significant number of young children are burdened by untreated mental health problems in their families, recurrent exposure to family violence, and the psychological fallout from living in a demoralized and violent neighborhood. Circumstances characterized by multiple, interrelated, and cumulative risk factors impose particularly heavy developmental burdens during early childhood and are the most likely to incur substantial costs to both the individual and society in the future.
From page 12...
... This calls for expanding coverage of the Family and Medical Leave Act to all working parents, pursuing the complex issue of income protection, lengthening the exemption period before states require parents of infants to work as part of welfare reform, and enhancing parents' opportunities to choose from among a range of child care settings that offer the stable, sensitive, and linguistically rich caregiving that fosters positive early childhood development. · Recommendation 5 Environmental protection, reproductive health services, and early intervention efforts should be substantially expanded to reduce documented risks that arise from harmful prenatal and early postnatal neurotoxic exposures, as well as from seriously disrupted early relationships due to chronic mental health problems, substance abuse, and violence in families.
From page 13...
... Yet the child care that is available in the United States today is highly fragmented and characterized by marked variation in quality, ranging from rich, growthpromoting experiences to unstimulating, highly unstable, and sometimes dangerous settings. The burden of poor quality and limited choice rests most heavily on low-income, working families whose financial resources are too high to qualify for subsidies yet too low to afford quality care.
From page 14...
... A variety of services have been designed to address the needs of young children whose future prospects are threatened by socioeconomic disadvantages, family disruptions, and diagnosed disabilities. They all share a belief that early childhood development is susceptible to environmental influences and that wise public investments in young children can increase the odds of favorable developmental outcomes.
From page 15...
... · The reconciliation of traditional program formats and strategiesmany of which emphasize the importance of active parent involvement and the delivery of services in the home setting—with the economic and social realities of contemporary family life is a pressing concern. Particularly urgent is the need to ensure access to these intervention programs for parents who are employed full-time, those who work nonstandard hours, and those who are making the transition from public assistance to work.
From page 16...
... · The general political environment in which research questions are formulated and investigations are conducted has resulted in a highly problematic context for early childhood policy and practice. In many circumstances, the evaluation of intervention impacts is largely a high-stakes activity to determine whether policies and programs should receive continued funding, rather than a more constructive process of continuous knowledge generation and quality improvement.
From page 17...
... Integrating Child Development Research, Neuroscience, and Molecular Genetics Enormous potential exists at the intersection of child development research, neuroscience, and molecular and behavioral genetics to unlock some of the enduring mysteries about how biogenetic and environmental factors interact to influence developmental pathways. These include: .
From page 18...
... elucidating the mechanisms that underlie nonoptimal birth outcomes and developmental disabilities. Integrating the Basic Science of Human Development and the Applied Science of Early Childhood Intervention There are currently few avenues for integrating knowledge gained from basic developmental science and from evaluations of early interventions.
From page 19...
... In a highly pluralistic society that is experiencing dramatic economic and social change, however, the development of children must be viewed as a matter of intense concern for both their parents and for the nation as a whole. In this context, and based on the evidence gleaned from a rich and rapidly growing knowledge base, we feel an urgent need to call for a new national dialogue focused on rethinking the meaning of both shared responsibility for children and strategic investment in their future.


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