Early Brain Development is Rapid and Extensive

By age 3, children achieve nearly 80% of their total brain development. Before a child enters kindergarten, intelligence, behavioral patterns, and even personality have been largely determined.

Brain Development is Vulnerable to Environmental Influence
Nutrition, physical surroundings and quality of human interactions have a tremendous impact on the development of a young child’s brain. Children living in poverty are particularly at risk for school failure. Longitudinal studies show that if children start school behind their peers, they rarely if ever catch up.

Quality Early Childhood Education is of Paramount Importance
On average, a single child spends 2,394 hours a year in child care – 314 more hours than the average working adult spends at a full-time job. Research has demonstrated that children living in poverty benefit more from quality early childhood programs and are hurt more by poor and mediocre programs than their peers.