To have greatest impact, interventions must be timely and must be followed up with appropriate, sustained services and support. Promote the healthy development and learning of every child of every age, every demographic description, and every risk category. If we miss opportunities to promote healthy development and learning, later remediation may be more difficult and expensive, and may be less effective. Implications for policy and practice Improve health and protection by providing health care coverage for new and expectant parents and their young children. Promote responsible parenthood by expanding proven approaches.
All parents can benefit from solid information and support as they raise their children.
Safeguard children in early care and education from harm and promote their learning and development. The nation's youngest children are the most likely to be in unsafe, substandard child care. More than one third are in situations that can be detrimental to their development, while most of the rest are in settings where minimal learning is taking place. Enable communities to have the flexibility and the resources they need to mobilize on behalf of young children and their families. Support efforts to create the kind of community you and your children want to be a part of, develop goals and strategies for achieving this vision, determine how to finance your efforts, and make provisions for measuring your results.