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— Episcopal Health Foundation • Child Trends • TexProtects —
Early Childhood Matters –A Survey of Policymakers and
Messaging Strategies for Advocates
Introductions and Welcome –
TexProtects/Sophie Phillips
Importance & Rationale –
Episcopal Health
Foundation/Jennifer Mineo
Survey Results – Child
Trends/April Wilson
Messaging & Policy Tactics –
TexProtects/Jennifer Lucy
Q&A – TexProtects/Sophie Phillips
Overview
DefinitionEarly childhood brain development
is a rapid period of brain activity from the prenatal stage to age three in which early experiences can have lasting consequences on learning, behavior, and health due to the plasticity of the brain during
this critical period of development.
Importance & Rationale
Episcopal Health:
STRATEGIC FOCUS
#HealthNotJustHealthCare
Build the Foundation for a Healthy Life by investing in early childhood brain development
Survey ResultsChild Trends:
How Texas policymakers
understand and support early
childhood brain development:
Learnings from a recent survey
April Wilson, Brooke Whitfield, Sydney Briggs, Beth Jordan, and Madeline Carter
Presentation overview
1. Research Questions
2. Data Collection Methods
3. Findings
4. Implications and Conclusion
What do state and local policymakers know about early childhood brain development (ECBD)?
How do policymakers make decisions about which ECBD-related policies to support?
Research Questions
Data Collection Methods
• Four focus groups in various regions of Texas with 79 early childhood stakeholders
• One-on-one phone interviews with four Texas policymakers
• Online survey sent to all Texas state legislators and select county representatives, mayors, city council members in 57 counties
Characteristics of survey respondents
Of 60 survey respondents… • 45% work in local government• 52% work in state governmentAnd• 48% identified as Democrats• 42% identified as Republicans• 5% identified as Independent
Findings
Concepts policymakers in this survey are MOSTlikely to understand
• Good health care and having a positive relationship with a parent or caregiver are important for healthy ECBD
• Children’s experiences prenatally to age 3 have long-term impacts on health and well-being
• Investing in services for families and children results in long-term social benefits
Concepts policymakers in this survey are leastlikely to understand
• Physical brain development of young children who experience chronic neglect differs from those who do not experience neglect
• Parents’ level of chronic stress affects young children’s brain development
• Young children’s brains can recover from adverse experiences and trauma
• Investing in services for families and children results in long-term fiscal benefits
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16
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1 Access to comprehensive pediatric and primary care
2 Health care for mothers during and after pregnancy,including screening for depression
3 Nutrition and food security
4 Access to high-quality, affordable child care for families5 Access to mental or behavioral health care for children or
parents
Policy IssueRanking (1 = highest ranked)
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6 Promoting responsible fatherhood, including caretaking and financial engagement
7 Comprehensive referral networks that provide information on multiple programs and services for young children, families, and early childhood service providers
8 Family-friendly work policies, including paid family leave and a living wage
9 Family support home visiting programs10
(tie)Early and consistent developmental screenings
10(tie)
A high-quality child care workforce, including good training and adequate compensation
Policymakers in this study believe developmental screenings and a high-quality child care workforce have the least benefit for young children
Policy Issue
Policymakers disagree about the role government should play in supporting ECBD
19
Promoting ECBD is the
responsibility of the family, not
the government
37%
Government has a role in
promoting ECBD
63%
• General belief that policymakers understand the importance of family in ECBD
• Some believe policymakers are “out of touch” with caregivers’ challengeso Navigating povertyo Finding affordable, safe, stable child care
• Belief that challenges accessing child care cannot be fully addressed without government supports
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Disagreement about role of government echoed by interviewees and stakeholders
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Information policymakers in this study weigh most heavily when deciding whether to support or prioritize programs for young children
Factors weighed most heavilyTotal
Evidence of effectiveness 70%
Cost 42%
Return on investment 42%
Impact on long-term child outcomes (such as health,productivity, and educational attainment)
40%
Demonstrated need for services in the community 32%
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Information policymakers in this study feel they are missing that would help them make better decisions about how to promote healthy ECBD
Information missingTotal
Data on outcomes for young children and families in public programs 52%
Data on current availability and gaps for existing programs 47%
Data on return on investment for programs or interventions 43%
Clear information on program funding (how to fund and how fundingwill be used)
43%
Research on effective prevention and intervention services for young children and their families
33%
Implications
There is a good deal of consensus among these policymakers
• Understanding and consensus on many issues o Young children need positive experiences
and relationships; critical role of health care; high ROI from Medicaid and CHIP
• Frame new recommendations and advocacy efforts around common beliefs
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Policymakers need to learn more about some topics
• Struggled to understand how trauma, chronic neglect, and chronic stress can harm ECBD
o Critical to improve this understanding in time of COVID-19
• Did not recognize the potential ROI from child care subsidies and strong early childhood workforce
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Policymakers understand their role in ECBD differently
• Disagreement about role policymakers play in family life and supporting ECBD
• Messaging on supporting the family itself may resonate better than messaging about supporting young children
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A disconnect exists between health care attitudes and policy
• Policymakers seem to agree on critical role of health care in supporting ECBD
o But disconnect in their support for policies that could increase access to care
• Notably high rates of uninsured children (11%) and women (23%) in Texas
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Thank you!
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If you have additional questions about the findings from this study or would like to receive the tables of results for all survey items, please email Dr. April Wilson: [email protected]
Messaging & PolicyTexProtects:
What Policymakers Understand About ECBD
Messaging Tactic #1Create Outcomes-based messages
Investing early works now and saves money later.
When we invest in the first three years of a child’s life, we reduce the need for more expensive and less effective interventions later in life.
Investments in high-quality early childhood education, starting at birth, provides taxpayers with a return of $7.30 for every dollar invested.
Evidence-based home visiting has shown to reduce child maltreatment by up to 50% while increasing child and maternal health, family self-sufficiency, and protective factors.
Family Connects has a return of $3.02 in emergency room costs alone for every dollar invested.
Messaging Tactic #2Leverage areas of strong understanding to build awareness for topics that are less understood
Early experiences provide the building blocks for healthy development, but chronic and uncontrolled stress can disrupt development.
The quality of childcare impacts a child’s ability to learn, build healthy relationships, and thrive.
Every child develops at their own pace, but disability, developmental delay, or environmental exposures can negatively impact development.
Messaging Tactic #3Choose words carefully
ACEs, like child abuse and neglect, can disrupt brain development in ways that can influence biology, behavior, and health across the lifespan.
Adversity and trauma do not dictate the future of a child.
Children with protective factors (e.g. healthy attachment to parents, access to community resources, and supportive school and home environments) can build the resilience needed to thrive despite adversity.
Voluntary home visiting programs, such as Nurse-Family Partnership, can help children and families by improving the quality of the home environment, parenting practices, and children’s development.
Messaging Tactic #4Connect with shared values
Resilience can be improved by supporting families.
ECBD is a community issue, not just a family one.
Supportive relationships and positive learning experiences begin at home but can also be provided through a range of effective programs and policies.
A parent is a child’s first and most important teacher; however, many families are stressed and strained during a child’s critical years of development.
Messaging Tactic #5Include public awareness campaigns and outreach to local officials in your strategy
Brains aren’t born, they’re built. And they are not built alone.
Supporting families requires elected officials, policymakers, and multiple systems coming together—health care, childcare, and family support services—to ensure that all parents, particularly those with high needs, get the appropriate resources to nurture their children’s healthy development from the very beginning.
Healthy communities create healthy childhoods.
The Story of Early ChildhoodDevelopment Begins Before Day One
Brains Aren’t Just Born, They’re BuiltThe Story of Early Childhood
Experiences Create the Building Blocks for Brain DevelopmentThe Story of Early Childhood
Chronic and Uncontrolled Stress Can Disrupt DevelopmentThe Story of Early Childhood
Investing Early Works Now and Saves Money LaterThe Story of Early Childhood
Adversity and Trauma Do Not Dictate A Child’s FutureThe Story of Early Childhood
Policy Recommendations
Learn more about PN-3
Supported Families
Early Care and Education
Healthy Beginnings
Q & A
Contact Us
Jennifer Lucy
Managing Director of Programs| TexProtects
Jennifer Mineo
Parenting & Family Dynamics | Episcopal Health
April Wilson
Deputy Program Area Director, Reproductive Health and Family Formation | Child Trends