Connecticut Commission on Children: CT Summit on the Early Years

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Connecticut Summit on the Early Years

October 29, 2007, at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford

Sponsored by the Children's Fund of Connecticut Inc., the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University.

Overview
Research shows that children's earliest experiences play a critical role in their ability to grow up healthy and ready to learn. That’s why the Connecticut Commission on Children organized a summit where the latest advances in neuroscience, molecular biology, genetics, and other areas of research were discussed with an eye toward using them as the basis for public policy in Connecticut.

The event, which drew more than 300 people, featured opening remarks from Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro of the 3rd District. She noted that Connecticut's summit was the first to replicate the National Summit on America’s Children, held earlier in the year in Washington, D.C., and co-chaired by her. "We know that 80 percent of brain development occurs by age three," DeLauro said. "Prominent scientists all agree – the first year is critical in laying foundation for future development, with neuroscience pointing the way to how positive relationships and experiences play a large role in the development of the child’s brain." (Read the rest of her remarks.)

State House of Representatives Speaker James A. Amann introduced DeLauro, and there were video greetings from U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Governor M. Jodi Rell, and Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, clinical professor of pediatrics emeritus at Harvard Medical School and famous throughout the world for his research and writing on early childhood development.

Experts from around the country discussed:

early neurological development,
how language begins and influences the early steps to literacy,
the impact of poverty on a child’s brain,
what connectedness – or the lack of it – does to a child’s learning and mental health,
the impact of low birth weight on a child,
how families influence the choices and outcomes of their children over time,
how high-quality early care affects play and learning, and
what state systems are needed to ensure the health and well-being of Connecticut’s children.

State Deputy Education Commissioner George Coleman and Commission on Children Executive Director Elaine Zimmerman served as moderators. Dr. Edward Zigler, Sterling professor of psychology emeritus and director emeritus of the Edward Zigler Center for Child Development and Social Policy at Yale University, provided closing remarks.

CT-N coverage
The Connecticut Network (CT-N) recorded the Summit and has made the program available for viewing on your computer for a limited time. You may also check CT-N's listings for encore presentations of the program or buy it in DVD or VHS format. (Total viewing time: 4 hours, 38 minutes)

Video greetings
The Summit received video greetings from three people who couldn't attend in person:

Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
M. Jodi Rell, governor of Connecticut
Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, clinical professor of pediatrics emeritus at Harvard Medical School

Double-click on the "play" arrows below to view their greetings.


	Nancy Pelosi

	M. Jodi Rell

	T. Berry Brazelton

PowerPoint presentations
These documents have been converted to PDF format. If you can't open them, download the Adobe Reader here for free.


	"The Science of Early Child Development," by Dr. Neal Halfon (47 pages) "Brain circuits stabilize with age, making them increasingly more difficult to alter...The window of opportunity for adaptive development remains open for many years, but the costs of remediation grow over time...It is more efficient, both biologically and economically, to get things right the first time than to try to fix them later."

	"The Starting Gate: The Effects of Birth Weight and Family Wealth," by Dr. Dalton Conley (20 pages) "Socio-economic factors matter for those at medical (genetic) risk."

	"Quality Experiences for Our Youngest Children: Issues and Opportunities," by Nina Sazer O'Donnell (14 pages) "One-quarter to one-third of America’s kindergarteners are coming to school behind...The most vulnerable children are at least one to two years behind...By the age of 5, many children in high-risk environments are already developmentally behind."

	"Safeguarding Children’s Health, Nutrition and Growth," by Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba (37 pages) "Infants and toddlers in food insecure homes are 30 percent more likely to have a history of hospitalizations...and 90 percent more likely to be in fair or poor health."

	"First Words, First Steps: Early Learning," by Dr. Laura Justice (24 pages) "Language and literacy are critical achievements in early childhood that predict later outcomes in reading."

	"Moving from Fragmented Services to Integrated Early Childhood Systems," by Dr. Neal Halfon (42 pages) "Families have complex needs - often beyond the capability of any single service...Episodic contact focused on Rx rather than prevention/early intervention."

Packet materials
Unless otherwise indicated, all documents are in PDF format. If you can't open a document, download the Adobe Reader here for free.

	Summit agenda (2 pages)
	Speaker biographies (4 pages)
	"Healthy Children, Healthy Communities" - A Commission pamphlet (12 pages)
	"First Words, First Steps: The Importance of the Early Years" - A publication of the Commission and the state Department of Social Services (7 pages)
	"Every Grownup Is a Famous Storyteller" - A publication of the Commission on Children and sponsored by the state Department of Education
	"A Science-Based Framework for Early Childhood Policy" - A publication of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (36 pages)
	"Ready by 5 & Fine by 9" - Prepared by the Connecticut Early Childhood Education Cabinet and co-published with the State Department of Education
	"Healthy Children, Healthy Communities" - A Commission publication explaining recent state initiatives. Prepared for the Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk.
	"Why Reading Is Vital to Babies of All Ages" - A Commission fact sheet (2 pages)
	"Nourishing Development: A Report on Food Insecurity and the Precursors to School Readiness Among Very Young Children" - A report from the Children's Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Program (C-SNAP) (12 pages)
	"Food Stamps as Medicine: A New Perspective on Children's Health" - A report from the Children's Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Program (C-SNAP) (6 pages)
	"Fuel for Our Future: Impacts of Energy Insecurity on Children's Health, Nutrition, and Learning" - A report from the Children's Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Program (C-SNAP) (6 pages)

Web links

National Summit on America's Children

Center for the Developing Child at Harvard University

Zero to Three

Children's Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Program (C-SNAP)

Photos
Click on the thumbnail to enlarge. All photos by Pat Estill.

	Some of the more than 300 people who turned out for the Summit.
	Connecticut Speaker of the House of Representatives James A. Amann introduces Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro
	George Coleman, deputy commissioner of the state Department of Education, co-moderated the forum with Commission on Children Executive Director Elaine Zimmerman.
	Dr. Dalton Conley, professor of social sciences and chair of sociology at New York University.
	Dr. Laura Justice, associate professor, School of Teaching and Learning, Ohio State University.
	Commission on Children Chair Emerita Laura Lee Simon introduces Michael J. Petro.
	Michael J. Petro, vice president and director of business and government relations, Committee for Economic Development.
	Norwalk Housing Authority Executive Director Curtis O. Law.
	Dr. Edward Zigler, the closing speaker, with Richard Sussman of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Congresswoman DeLauro, and Commission on Children Executive Director Elaine Zimmerman.
	Two of the speakers, Nina Sezer O'Donell, director of national strategies for the United Way of America, and Dr. Neal Halfon, director of the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families, and Communities.

This page was last updated: June 11, 2008