Incorporating trauma informed principles and practices into healthcare delivery is essential for improving health. And, preventing or mitiga

Our January focus on businesses trends that impact child and family health continues, with another employee benefit that can be good for business and good for families. Imagine a family of four, two parents who work full time, and two kids who are not yet school age. Their morning begins early so both parents can get ready for work and get the kids ready for daycare drop off. Lunches are packed, bags are gathered, coats and shoes are dug out of closets. OH WAIT! We forgot t

I have had the privilege of serving as a pediatrician for nearly twenty years, and have encountered dozens of children and families who have deeply impacted me. Their stories fuel my drive to transform systems to those that truly produce, sustain and enable health. Cris’ is one of those stories. Cris* is a 13-month-old adorable child who is the third of four siblings all younger than 6 years. I first met Cris and his mother Tanya* when they came for a follow-up appointment f

Families, broadly defined, play a foundational role in child well-being.

Election day is 13 days away! As you consider candidates, explore their stances on children's issues. KIDS CANNOT VOTE. We have to be th

The Heckman Curve summarizes decades of groundbreaking research by James Heckman, Nobel Laureate in Economics, on the real impact of investments in child health. The Heckman curve compares investments in child health during developmental stages to the returns generated in personal achievement and social productivity (labeled on the chart at “human capital”). Dr. Heckman’s analysis proves what we intuitively know to be true: the advantages a child experiences during the first

Decades of neuroscientific and behavioral research has demonstrated that early experiences influence all future learning and greatly impact overall health. In the first few years of life, nerve cells in our brains make more than 700 connections per second, and these connections are created, reinforced or eliminated based on the stimulus we receive as infants. An animated illustration of the relationship between stimuli, brain development and well-being is presented in this