National Collaborative for Infants and Toddlers: Advancing Prenatal to Three Policy Systems for Healthy Development

In an effort to advance policies and programs that ensure all parents receive the necessary support for their infants and toddlers, national, state, and local policymakers have united under the National Collaborative for Infants and Toddlers NCIT. Funded by the Pritzker Children’s Initiative PCI, this collaborative build comprehensive prenatal-to-three policy systems designed to promote healthy development in young children and their families.

The science of early learning underscores the importance of nurturing infants and toddlers during their first three years, as these formative experiences lay the groundwork for cognitive, social, emotional growth, overall health, and long-term outcomes. Recognizing this critical period, policymakers are now looking towards more resources to create a cohesive prenatal-to-three policy framework that can support infant development.

In response to these urgent needs, national, state, and community leaders in early childhood development have come together under the NCIT umbrella to advance promising initiatives. The collaborative's goal is to foster policies and programs that ensure every parent has access to essential supports during their child's most vital years of development.

To address this challenge comprehensively, NCIT partners are working towards three primary areas:

1. Healthy Beginnings: This includes ensuring pregnant mothers have access to prenatal care, as well as young children accessing preventive healthcare from birth.

2. Supported Families: This involves providing stimulating learning opportunities and nurturing relationships between parents and their infantstoddlers. Services such as parent education, early identification of maternal depression, and coordination of various family supports help create a robust infrastructure that can meet diverse family needs.

3. High-Quality Care and Learning Experiences: Accessible care is essential to support healthy brn development in the earliest years and connect families with additional resources.

Case Studies

Across the United States, states like North Carolina, Connecticut, Texas, and Illinois are implementing innovative solutions for prenatal-to-three initiatives that benefit both children and their families. These case studies showcase strategies being employed at state and local levels to strengthen existing programs, build new initiatives, and track outcomes effectively.

The NCIT Prenatal-to-Three Outcomes Framework serves as a roadmap for states and communities to develop, monitor progress, enhance policies, and improve efforts dedicated to infants, toddlers, and their families. The framework emphasizes equity by guiding the development of initiatives that address disparities among children and their caregivers from diverse backgrounds.

Implementation Support

The NCIT Prenatal-to-Three Outcomes Framework offers indicators for child outcomes that can be tracked over time across different communities. Effective policies and programs contribute to these positive outcomes:

• High-quality prenatal care

• Adequate nutrition

• Regular healthcare check-ups

When implemented strategically, the framework can facilitate meaningful action, leading to more significant impacts on infant development.

For those looking to adapt this approach in their respective regions, please visit www.thencit.org for further guidance and resources.
This article is reproduced from: https://earlylearningnation.com/2019/02/a-roadmap-for-ensuring-all-infants-and-toddlers-achieve-optimal-health-and-development/

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