Early childhood is a pivotal period of child development that begins before birth through age 8. The experiences and opportunities offered in early

childhood lay the foundation for how children grow, learn, build relationships, and prepare for school. This is a period of rapid brain and body development. In the first few years of life, more than 1 million new neural connections are formed every second (Center for Developing Child). The experiences and opportunities offered in early childhood lay the foundation for how children grow, learn, build relationships, and prepare for school. A child does not grow in a silo. The health of their family, community, safety of their environment as well as the systems and policy all interact to affect the trajectory and health of a child.