Grant: Prize - IHDCYH Talks

A child's early years are incredibly important. What happens during the first five years has lifelong effects. That's because the brain develops rapidly during these years and changes based on a child's experiences. Sadly, not all children have positive experiences and lack the stimulation, support, and nurturance needed for the brain to develop in the healthiest way possible. That means there are more challenges for these children as they grow. But if we help children and families early, we can avoid many negative outcomes thanks to the brain's ability to easily change and adapt at this stage. Our research team created a whiteboard video to promote the idea that making meaningful changes for all children and families starts with understanding how all children are doing. If we don't know how children are doing, we can't identify any problems, we can't effectively help them, and we won't know if things are getting better or worse. The solution is the Early Development Instrument (EDI). The EDI measures kindergarten children's ability to meet age-appropriate developmental expectations across five general areas: Physical Health and Well-Being, Social Competence, Emotional Maturity, Language and Cognitive Development, and Communication Skills and General Knowledge. Focusing on strengthening the areas in which children are vulnerable allows schools, communities, and governments to make decisions on how to best support early development and ensure all children have the best start to life possible. By promoting the EDI in a fun, accessible way, we hope to mobilize communities and engage those who aren't usually involved in promoting the healthy development of young children. By getting a glimpse of the potential of the EDI, people can be inspired to do something to improve the lives of our young children and help shape a better future in their own communities and beyond.