• Biological systems, including brain development, heart and lung function, digestion, energy production, fighting infection, and physical growth, are all interconnected and influence each other’s development and function.
• Toxic stress, the excessive activation of stress response systems that can occur when a young child does not have supportive, caring adults, can lead to lifelong problems in learning, behavior, and physical and mental health.
• The socio-emotional, physical and cognitive capacities that are built in the first three years are all important for later success in school, the workplace and the larger community.
• Supportive relationships and positive learning experiences begin at home but can also be provided through a range of effective programs and policies.

• All families with young children—especially first-time parents and those with both parents in the labor force—are stretched for time and resources.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has added additional hardship and stress for families during this already challenging time.
• High-quality child care is often unavailable or unaffordable for parents, and many are not connected to early care supports that can offer guidance to navigate the earliest months and years.

Facts

• More women in the United States die in childbirth than in any other developed country, and Black women are more than twice as likely to die as White women.
• Nearly 25% of all U.S. women start prenatal care late in pregnancy or do not receive the recommended number of prenatal visits. This number rises to 34% among Black women and to 41% among Indigenous or Alaska Native women.

• There is a great discrepancy between what families need and the affordability and access of what is available. It is imperative that government works to fill this gap.
• Supporting families requires elected officials, policymakers, and multiple systems coming together—health care, child care, and family support services—to ensure that all parents, particularly those with high need, get what they need to nurture their children’s healthy development from the very beginning.