Introduction

Over the past 20 years, the early childhood field has effectively applied frames to increase understanding of the importance of early development, the impacts of adversity, and the power of caregiver/child relationships to build and protect the developing brain. This progress presents an opportunity to deepen public understanding of the association between place—both built and natural environments—and child development, and how structural racism shapes those environments. 

Building on two decades of work in framing early childhood development, FrameWorks has identified strategies to communicate about those connections, creating a broader picture of developmental environments while fostering understanding of the developing brain. 

In doing so, we can help shift public understanding and mindsets toward three essential ideas: that the places where children live, grow, play, and learn shape their early development; that those places are intentionally designed by public policy choices; and that racism affects how those choices are made—ultimately impacting child development.