More investments in early childhood development are needed. This guide provides 13 specific, tested, early childhood investment opportunities donors can pursue immediately to make positive impacts.

Strengthen public systems of early care and education at state and local levels to ensure continuous quality improvements.

Option 1: Provide technical assistance for states to accelerate quality-improvement efforts.

Option 2: Fund training for providers pursuing quality improvements.

Scale health and developmental screenings to connect parents and families to resources to optimize their child’s holistic development.

Option 3: Develop and share comprehensive screening and referral systems at the community level.

Option 4: Support pediatric practices to integrate screenings and referrals into well-child visits.

Option 5: Disseminate promising screening and assessment questionnaires and tools.

Improve the training, continuing education, professional development and compensation of early childhood educators.

Option 6: Increase the availability of on-the-job coaching and development for early childhood educators.

Option 7: Fund research and technical assistance to promote fair compensation of early childhood educators.

Support greater access to high-quality, evidence-based programs that help parents and families to foster their children’s development.

Option 8: Build the capacity of organizations implementing evidence-based programs to serve more children and families.

Option 9: Invest in innovative public-private financing mechanisms for evidence-based programs.

Option 10: Expand evidence-based programs for parents by advocating for increased state, local and federal funding.

Option 11: Simplify and disseminate information to assist parents in choosing high-quality care and education opportunities for their children.

Promote and share ongoing program innovation and improvement, especially for those programs supporting parents and informal caregivers.

Option 12: Promote quality-improvement efforts for family, friend and neighbor care.

Option 13: Foster innovation to achieve repeatable results.