www.americanbirthrighmedia.orgwww.americanbirthrighmedia.org

A documentary, multimedia project A documentary, multimedia project and public engagement campaignand public engagement campaign

California NewsreelCalifornia Newsreel500 Third Street500 Third StreetSan Francisco, CA 94107San Francisco, CA 94107www.newsreel.orgwww.newsreel.org

- Chinese Proverb- Chinese Proverb

““IfIf you want 1 year of prosperity, grow you want 1 year of prosperity, grow

grain.grain.

If you want 10 years of prosperity, If you want 10 years of prosperity,

grow trees.grow trees.

If you want 100 years of prosperity, If you want 100 years of prosperity,

grow people.”grow people.”

““It is easier to build strong childrenIt is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. than to repair broken men.””

- - Frederick DouglassFrederick Douglass

““Evidence is rarely if ever Evidence is rarely if ever sufficient by itself to catalyze sufficient by itself to catalyze political action. political action.

““In political terms, what might In political terms, what might be at least as crucial as the evidence be at least as crucial as the evidence itself is the ‘story’ in which it is itself is the ‘story’ in which it is embedded.”embedded.”

- World Health Organization’s (WHO)- World Health Organization’s (WHO)

Commission on the Social Determinants of Commission on the Social Determinants of HealthHealth

HEALTH CARE…HEALTH CARE…

Some Strengths and Some Strengths and AbsencesAbsences

• Individual-based, but not population-based Individual-based, but not population-based workwork

• Targeting services to those most in need, but Targeting services to those most in need, but not structural racism, nor the larger policies not structural racism, nor the larger policies and social and economic arrangementsand social and economic arrangements

• Importance of life-course, social Importance of life-course, social determinants and equity increasingly determinants and equity increasingly acknowledged, but not yet integrated into acknowledged, but not yet integrated into work.work.

Strengths & Absences - 2Strengths & Absences - 2

Value and benefits of early care Value and benefits of early care and pre-K promoted, but the and pre-K promoted, but the voices of children and teachers voices of children and teachers not often spotlighted. not often spotlighted.

Pre-natal care, but little pre- or Pre-natal care, but little pre- or inter-conception care.inter-conception care.

Growing emphasis on return on Growing emphasis on return on investment (ROI), but that investment (ROI), but that resonates more with policy resonates more with policy makers than the public.makers than the public.

Strengths & Absences - 3Strengths & Absences - 3

Trainings include toxic stress, but Trainings include toxic stress, but more rarely link stressors to more rarely link stressors to neglected neighborhoods, the larger neglected neighborhoods, the larger socio-economic environment, nor socio-economic environment, nor their patterning by class and race.their patterning by class and race.

Conduct education and trainings, but Conduct education and trainings, but little public / community leadership little public / community leadership development.development.

Strong research, but ‘translation’ Strong research, but ‘translation’ efforts are lagging.efforts are lagging.

Strengths & Absences - 4Strengths & Absences - 4

ECD seen as a school ECD seen as a school readiness issue, but not as readiness issue, but not as vital to a safer, happier, vital to a safer, happier, more productive, more more productive, more prosperous and more prosperous and more equitable America. equitable America.

Conventional Frames and Conventional Frames and Mental ModelsMental Models

• Personal Responsibility and ‘Right Personal Responsibility and ‘Right Choices’Choices’

• The Self-Determining IndividualThe Self-Determining Individual• Dysfunctional CulturesDysfunctional Cultures• The ‘Family Bubble’The ‘Family Bubble’• Sovereign Rights of ParentsSovereign Rights of Parents

Conventional Frames - 2Conventional Frames - 2

• Sovereign Rights of ParentsSovereign Rights of Parents• The Imperiled ChildThe Imperiled Child• Narrow interpretation of Narrow interpretation of

DevelopmentDevelopment• Kids are Naturally ResilientKids are Naturally Resilient• DNA is DestinyDNA is Destiny

Conventional Frames - 3Conventional Frames - 3

• The Problem is ‘Those’ Children, Not The Problem is ‘Those’ Children, Not ‘Us’‘Us’

• Exceptionalism and DenialExceptionalism and Denial• Childcare Isn’t about Child Childcare Isn’t about Child

DevelopmentDevelopment• Government is the ProblemGovernment is the Problem• Ignorance of Effective InitiativesIgnorance of Effective Initiatives

Elements of a New Elements of a New ‘Story’‘Story’

• The stakes are highThe stakes are high• Relationships and early experiences Relationships and early experiences

build the foundation for lifelong build the foundation for lifelong physical, cognitive and socio-physical, cognitive and socio-emotional healthemotional health

• A safe, stable and stimulating A safe, stable and stimulating environments is criticalenvironments is critical

• Take a life-course perspectiveTake a life-course perspective

New ‘Story’ – 2New ‘Story’ – 2

• Health begins with the well-being of Health begins with the well-being of the mother even before conceptionthe mother even before conception

• DNA is NOT destinyDNA is NOT destiny• Avoid a new determinismAvoid a new determinism• Brain plasticity decreases over timeBrain plasticity decreases over time• Strong Communities are the Strong Communities are the

Foundation for Health ChildrenFoundation for Health Children

New ‘Story’ - 3New ‘Story’ - 3

• Widen attention from negligent Widen attention from negligent parents to the negligence of societyparents to the negligence of society

• Focus not on unequal outcomes but Focus not on unequal outcomes but the inequities that drive those the inequities that drive those outcomesoutcomes

• Make it political Make it political • Racism not RaceRacism not Race

New ‘Story’ - 4New ‘Story’ - 4

• Invest now or pay more laterInvest now or pay more later• Inspire hope and communicate Inspire hope and communicate

possibilitypossibility• Make ECD an “us” issueMake ECD an “us” issue

“ “The message needs to be The message needs to be something simple. Complex is something simple. Complex is hard to do. hard to do.

So herein lies the problem: So herein lies the problem:

this is a highly complex issue this is a highly complex issue that we are trying to simplify.”that we are trying to simplify.”

- Byron Egeland- Byron Egeland

Univ. of MinnesotaUniv. of Minnesota

Appeal to Common Appeal to Common SenseSense

CHALLENGESCHALLENGES

1. How do we impel a sense of urgency?1. How do we impel a sense of urgency?

2. What models / stories / metaphors 2. What models / stories / metaphors can best rupture the family bubble / can best rupture the family bubble / mentalist frame?mentalist frame?

3. How best to focus on the mundane 3. How best to focus on the mundane 1000 cuts and not just the trauma of 1000 cuts and not just the trauma of abuse and extreme neglectabuse and extreme neglect??

4. Chronicle the stories of 4. Chronicle the stories of individualsindividuals, , with all their peculiarities, in a show with all their peculiarities, in a show about the conditions and outcomes of about the conditions and outcomes of populationspopulations, i.e., averages., i.e., averages.

Challenges - 2Challenges - 2

5. How do we make this an “us” issue yet 5. How do we make this an “us” issue yet underscore the special adversities faced by underscore the special adversities faced by the poor, especially poor communities of the poor, especially poor communities of color?color?

6. How do we underscore the importance of 6. How do we underscore the importance of early origins yet not give rise to a new early origins yet not give rise to a new determinism?determinism?

7. Rather than focus on mitigating the 7. Rather than focus on mitigating the impacts of poverty, how might we challenge impacts of poverty, how might we challenge poverty and structural racism itself?poverty and structural racism itself?

On Line Learning CenterOn Line Learning Center

1. The Documentary1. The Documentary

2. Learning Modules2. Learning Modules

3. Learning Objects3. Learning Objects

4. The Digital Platform4. The Digital Platform

Sample 10-20 min. Sample 10-20 min. modulesmodules

• Beyond the 'Family Bubble': How Beyond the 'Family Bubble': How Community Environments Shape Community Environments Shape Opportunity StructuresOpportunity Structures

• Building Resilience from Start to Finish: A Building Resilience from Start to Finish: A Life Course Perspective on Health and Life Course Perspective on Health and Well-beingWell-being

• Fight Crime: Invest in KidsFight Crime: Invest in Kids• The Geography of Opportunity: The Geography of Opportunity:

Segregation, Place and Child HealthSegregation, Place and Child Health• Making Work Pay: Balancing Work Life Making Work Pay: Balancing Work Life

and Family Lifeand Family Life

Sample 10–20 min. Sample 10–20 min. modules - 2modules - 2

• Nature Nature andand Nurture: DNA Is Not Nurture: DNA Is Not DestinyDestiny

• A Nurturing Child Environment: A Nurturing Child Environment: Safe, Stable and StimulatingSafe, Stable and Stimulating

• A Short History of ChildhoodA Short History of Childhood• Strengthen America: The Social and Strengthen America: The Social and

Economic Benefits from Investing in Economic Benefits from Investing in ChildrenChildren

Sample 10-20 min. Sample 10-20 min. modules - 3modules - 3

• Tackling Inequality: Supporting Children Tackling Inequality: Supporting Children by Transforming Their Communitiesby Transforming Their Communities

• Toxic Stew: The Impact of Poverty, Toxic Stew: The Impact of Poverty, Racism and Adversity on the Developing Racism and Adversity on the Developing BrainBrain

• Who’s Minding the Kids? Accessible, Who’s Minding the Kids? Accessible, Affordable and Quality DaycareAffordable and Quality Daycare

• A Womb With a View: Maternal Health A Womb With a View: Maternal Health and Child Outcomesand Child Outcomes

Perhaps it takes a childPerhaps it takes a child

to raise a villageto raise a village