Did you know that there are just 2,000 days from the time that a child is born until the day she enters kindergarten? That’s just about 286 weeks to make sure that a child gets what she needs to have the best shot at later success in life.
That’s the message of a new website, First 2000 Days, developed by The North Carolina Partnership for Children Inc., a nonprofit group that partners with state and national organizations in efforts to increase the health and well-being of the state’s children from birth to age 5. The partnership’s goal is to promote more investment in early-childhood care and education through the website.
The website, an outgrowth of community forums held across the state in 2010 that discussed what North Carolina residents wanted for their kids, features the voices of business leaders, law enforcement officials, parents, educators and others. It also includes information on why the first years of childhood are so important.
“Experiences during these 2,000 days have a lasting impact on later learning, health and success,” the website says. “That is because children’s earliest experiences literally determine how their brains are wired; lay the groundwork for future health; and form the foundation of the social and emotional skills needed for academic and workplace success.”
The website urges visitors to take action by spreading the word about why those first 2,000 days are so important. It recommends that people contact legislators, post on the website and on Facebook, and talk to candidates running for political office.