National Summit on America's Children

The National Summit on America's Children, convened May 22 by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), brought dozens of congressional representatives together with 300 national leaders and experts in early childhood to focus on bringing research to bear on policies affecting children and families.

More than 20 experts provided testimony and responded to questions on the science of early childhood development, early learning, health and mental health, and income and family support. In his keynote presentation, Nobel Laureate economist James Heckman emphasized that early learning programs promise significant return on investment, ranging from $2 to $17 for every dollar spent. The emphasis on health/mental health issues and family economic well-being was notable. Video and other materials from the Summit are available on the Speaker's web site at www.speaker.gov.

Donna Davidson, President and CEO of Easter Seals of North Georgia, which operates child care, Head Start, and publicly-funded prekindergarten programs,testified to the critical role that early intervention plays in the lives of young children with disabilities and their families. Easter Seals of North Georgia is part of the Easter Seals Child Development Network, a member of the Early Care and Education Consortium.

In calling for a national strategy linking resources and accountability, Oscar Barbarin, a University of North Carolina researcher, stressed the importance of early learning program quality and emphasized that part day programs were not enough. Others stressed the need for community-level solutions and increased investments to address the needs of infants and toddlers. When asked what two priorities lawmakers should focus on, Harvard University's Jack Shonkoff, M.D., pointed to issues related to quality standards in early childhood education and to targeting early the relatively small part of the child population most at risk.

Speaker Pelosi noted "Great strides have been made in understanding how children's brains are shaped and developed, how positive behaviors can be encouraged, and how investments in early childhood create success in later years. We must ensure that our policies match the latest research and that families are given what they need to take advantage of these scientific advances."

The Summit signals a new interest in early childhood programs by the 110th Congress. How well Congress will be able to act on that interest, given the demands on the budget made by the war in Iraq and other priorities, remains to be seen. Speaker Pelosi encouraged participants to "have courage" in pressing legislation and policies that strengthen the future of America's children.