Why it matters
For healthy development, children need a stable environment. Supports like affordable and quality child care, stable housing and financial benefits give families a stronger foundation. Parenting guidance that is responsive and consistent builds trust between children and their caregivers. Reducing stress for families means caregivers have more time and energy to create positive childhood experiences.
As a community, we can embrace a shared responsibility for the health and safety of all children by providing caregivers with culturally appropriate resources to help them build nurturing, nonviolent and consistent relationships with children.
As a society, we can prioritize policies and programs that promote equity and strengthen economic stability for families.
What this could look like:
- Schools
- Offering multi-generational programming
- Offering accessible, affordable and high quality child care
- Local government
- Increasing available space for child care programs
- Implementing local actions to reduce child poverty
- Health and social services
- Increasing the reach and uptake of parenting programs and resources
- Supporting caregivers to draw from their own cultural child-rearing practices
- Community
- Challenging attitudes and beliefs that support the use of harsh discipline practices for children
- Raising awareness of child development and brain science