When families are strong, children thrive. Families with information, skills, support, and resources have the building blocks to create safe, stable, and nurturing environments for their children. Communities with good schools and jobs, safe neighborhoods, streets and parks, and high quality services for children and families make it possible for families to develop the full potential of children. Communities like this set the foundation for a prosperous and healthy future.
That’s why our County is coming together to build Strong Families.
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We Are Born Ready
Early experiences really matter for all of us. When we are born, our brains are ready to grow and learn. Positive experiences in healthy environments make all the difference for strong brain architecture – which is the foundation for all the brain skills that we develop later through adolescence and into our adulthood.
We build strong brain architecture through positive back and forth interactions – called Serve and Return – with the adults in our lives who love and care for us.
Brain building isn’t something that we can do on our own as children. We need the adults in our lives to build it with us.
See “Serve and Return” in Action
Find out what Serve and Return looks like, why it works, and how you can do it:
Get more practical ideas for “Serve and Return” from vroom.org
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Brain Building Moments with Vroom.org
Brain building moments are all around – in what you already do. Vroom.org has free tools and reminders so you can make the most of these everyday brain building moments.
Vroom shares the science of early learning in engaging and easy tips. Whether it’s mealtime, bath time, or anytime in between, there are always ways to nurture our children’s growing minds. Sign up for Vroom today.
Brain Building is Dynamic
Early childhood isn’t the only time when our brains are growing and changing. Adolescence – a period of growth that starts when we are about 10 and continues until we are about 25 years old – is an important period of plasticity in our brains. This is great news because it means that families, teachers, mentors, and communities can still have a positive impact on young people as they grow into adults.
Learn more at: The Key Developmental Needs of Adolescence Website (1200 x 900 px) (ucla.edu) or The Core Science of Adolescent Development | Center for the Developing Adolescent (ucla.edu)
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The Impact that Communities Have
Communities play an important role in building strong families. By investing in support for families right from the start, communities can get ahead of possible problems or concerns.
Our infographic below explains the importance of early positive experiences, how communities can support families, and what happens when systems that fail families create the conditions of toxic stress for families and children.
Economic research shows that getting ahead of problems makes financial sense. Nobel Prize winning economist James Heckman quantified an annual return of 13% for life for every $1 of investment when children living in poverty participate high quality early childhood education.
Learn more at https://heckmanequation.org/
