Giving Compass' Take:

• EdSurge reports on a recent conference attended by early-childhood education entrepreneurs, funders and researchers that focused on the need for more resources in the field.

• One takeaway is that those who support early-childhood development must be well-versed in the medical and educational communities. How can we build more partnerships that combine the two?

• For more info, be sure to check out the interactive map for early-childhood education funding efforts.

Can a pacifier accurately monitor children’s neurodevelopment, based on their sucking patterns? Can vacant parking lots be redeveloped into libraries for children in “reading deserts?” And how can an AI-enhanced robot help toddlers improve language skills?

These were among the projects pitched at Early Futures, a conference hosted by the Omidyar Network, Promise Venture Studio, and Sesame Workshop in San Francisco on Nov. 27-28, 2018. The gathering convened about 250 early-childhood education entrepreneurs, funders and researchers united around a common vision: that the problems confronting the world’s littlest learners deserve the most attention — and money.

When it comes to fundraising, companies, including not-for-profits, shouldn’t be shy about asking for what they need, said Nancy Lublin, CEO of Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit that offers free counseling for people in crisis. Early-childhood education, she declared, is one of the most dignified ventures that entrepreneurs and investors can be a part of, one that deserves proper financial support.

Yet this sector suffers from under-investment — even though these services are often critical in pinpointing and addressing development problems later down the road. Investing in programs and services during one’s most formative years, Lublin added, can help parents and educators better understand children’s development needs before they start formal schooling.

Read the full article about the importance of early childhood investment by Meg Hamel at EdSurge.