Giving Compass' Take:

• Nadine Burke Harris, writing for EdSource, explains why early childhood development programs in California need to be coordinated efforts to best serve children and their families.

• How are donors getting involved with early childhood investments? 

• Read more about early childhood toolkits. 

It’s time for California to take bold and cohesive action to create a true system for early childhood well-being that is evidence-based and puts families at the center.

As a pediatrician, I’ve seen firsthand that child well-being is inextricably linked to the well-being of the child’s caregivers. We must develop a “two-generation system” — one where we meet care needs of the child and their family.

This means thinking about the educational and support needs of parents and guardians so they can earn a living wage and have the time and resources to meet their families’ needs. With a whole child and whole family approach, we can reduce child poverty, improve equity and reduce health and educational disparities in early childhood.

California has long understood the importance of investing in our children.

Our history has shown that quality, affordable child care and early childhood programs can improve outcomes, change lives and yield economic benefits down the line.

However, the myriad programs that have an impact on young children’s lives operate in silos. There is a lot of room for improvement in how we integrate and coordinate them. New programs have been brought online without a focus on creating a system that is easy for families and providers to navigate. Though well-intentioned, our existing system tends to focus on programs. Instead, we need a system that focuses on families.

Our system must evolve with scientific developments that show how fundamental early environments are in shaping children’s developing brains and bodies. This research overwhelmingly calls for a holistic approach to supporting young children and their families.

Read the full article about supporting California's children by Nadine Burke Harris at EdSource.