First 1000 Days

When elected, I will propose a First 1000 Days Study Group to prepare a report on what programs we have and what we need to develop or support in order to help young families in the Valley and Virginia thrive. 

What is First 1000 Days?

Studies tell us children who receive robust supports from birth through three years are smarter, healthier, and have better long term outcomes than children who experience deprivations or less positive support during those formative days. 

This is not surprising given the fact that we develop tens of thousands of neural connections that we will use for the rest of our lives during those first three years. In recent years Virginia has reached down to preschool ages to improve our conditions for preschool childcare and learning. Now, we need to reach younger children and their caregivers. 

We know this will help create a better society, because Iceland, Norway and Australia have adopted programs to address the first 1000 days of life with very positive results. The benefits are not only immediate help for young families.These programs continue to yield benefits as children enter school and join the workforce. 

Why a First 1000 Days for Virginia and SD2?

 A quick overview of the stresses reported by residents of District 2 tells us that many areas in need of attention are those that affect young families with infant and toddler children, or young families ready to welcome children. We must start by recognizing that the poverty level definitions used by many programs do not reach all of the families living under stress. The United Way ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) studies reveal that on average 44% of those living in Senate District 2 are working hard and they are still one unexpected expense away from catastrophe. These are the conditions that erode the ability of parents and elders to provide for infants and very young children. Just as investments in the first thousand days pay off, so too does stress and deprivation in the first thousand days carry negative consequences that continue for decades.  

Some things may be as simple as helping families access existing programs, as with the check box added to tax returns that allowed more than 60,000 Virginians to get help finding health insurance. Others will require vigilance to protect recently enacted programs such as the expansion of Medicaid. 

Doing this is essential for everyone, not just for young children and their families. 

As has always been the case, thriving businesses and healthy communities depend on the wise and equitable use of public resources. Taxes are the way we pay for the necessities that individuals cannot achieve alone and that should not be organized solely around a profit motive. We measure success in governing by the health of our communities, not the size of our tax return.