Executive Director’s Letter- September 2023

Dear Alliance for Early Childhood Community, 

Welcome to our first digital newsletter edition! We will be bringing you the voices of the early childhood researchers, pediatricians, educators, librarians, leaders, and advocates who can inform, inspire, and shape your journey as a parent, grandparent, caregiver, or teacher in this new format. 

We are honored to begin our 34th year, committed as ever to the healthy growth and development of children from birth to age 8, serving parents, families, and educators of young children. 

Why is early childhood so important?

Gone are the days of Nature vs. Nurture debates. A child’s development is an interplay between their biology, experiences, and environments. The architecture of the child’s brain and the foundations for their mental health and wellbeing are being built during early years. It is a sensitive period, a time of both risk and potential. As The Center on the Developing Child reminds us, “Healthy development in the early years provides the building blocks for educational achievement, economic productivity, responsible citizenship, lifelong health, strong communities, and successful parenting of the next generation” (Center on the Developing Child, 2023). 

During this sensitive period of a child’s growth, we know that strong, responsive relationships (at home, school, and in the community) are the building blocks of a child’s healthy development. Steady, secure relationships provide important consistency for young children whether 1-day or 4-years old. We know that the cultures of a child’s family and community will shape how they are raised - their languages, their belief systems, and their values. 

In light of this, The Alliance brings programs to you that support your relationships with the young children in your care. We hope to inspire a conversation and provide insights that allow for you, as parents, caregivers, and educators, to shape the work based upon your family, school, and community culture. We don’t believe in one size fits all, and we’ll never bring you a program that provides you with a list of to-dos. We’ll dive in - with you - to the big questions that keep us up at night and the inspiring research that keeps us engaged by the wonder of young children and their fascinating growth and development. 

This year we have expanded our Virtual Parent Series, as well as our Let’s Play! Series for families, and our Early Childhood Enrichment programs for educators. We hope that the programs support you - and the essential, vital work that you do as parents and educators.  

We are grateful to serve you, 

Carly Andrews, Executive Director

carly@theallianceforec.org

Reference: 

The Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University. (2023). What is Early Childhood Development? A Guide to the Science. https://developingchild.harvard.edu/guide/what-is-early-childhood-development-a-guide-to-the-science/