3.1 Advocating for early child development
Making the case for investing in early child development must stand on a solid rationale. How the rationale is communicated matters too. On this page we look at some practical ways to increase both awareness and action.
Listen to the late Dr. Fraser Mustard, founder of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, and co-founder of the Council for Early Childhood Development, explain the importance of investing in early child development. He talks about equity in a population. This is another way of talking about flattening the gradient – reducing the gap between people with the highest and lowest outcomes.
Jacques Van der Gaag, a leading global economist advocates a “level playing field”. Early child development affects education, health, the social capital, and the overall equality of societies that is key for stable societies and economic growth.
It may seem like common sense to say that it is better to prevent a problem from occurring rather than trying to repair it later on. However, many countries’ policies and programs don’t seem to reflect this approach.
Dr. Neal Halfon, founding director of the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities, makes the argument for early investments that set life trajectories on a positive path and prevent problems.
Making the case
What wins you over to a cause? For most of us, it helps if the messages are not too long, are clear and appeal to our hearts as well as our minds. In order to take action, it is particularly helpful when complicated issues are simplified and include practical suggestions about “what I can do”.
The First Nations Child and Family Caring Society is an organization that advocates for First Nations children and their families so that they can have culturally based and equitable opportunities. Executive Director Cindy Blackstock shares some startling facts about inequality for First Nations children and ways that people who work with young children can support equitable practices. The First Nations Caring Society website highlights “what you can do” with practical “ways to make a difference”.
How does Cindy Blackstock’s message “appeal to our hearts as well as to our minds”?
Which of the “ways to make a difference” can you implement?
Communicating the case for investing in early childhood education is critical.
Video is a tool that is often used for advocacy. The following video, produced by the Atkinson Centre at the University of Toronto, was created to encourage public and policy-maker support for early child development.
To close the gap between what we know about early child development and what we do often depends on how we communicate evidence and experiences. Listen to Dr. Charles Pascal, explain.
In the next video, Dr. Dan Keating, a professor at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, recommends aiming for a higher comfort level with the biology of early child development.
As Keating says, parents and professionals who work with young children are in the “business of building brains”. His message speaks to the idea you have seen throughout this resource – the importance of getting every child off to a good start. Keep this in mind as you go through the next page and learn about influencing social policy.
