Nevada's Early Childhood System
Nevada's Early Childhood System includes all the programs and services that young kids and their families need to be healthy and grow to their fullest potential.
Nevada's Early Childhood System includes all the programs and services that young kids and their families need to be healthy and grow to their fullest potential.
What is an Early Childhood System?
An “early childhood system” is comprised of all of the programs, services and supports that young children and their families need to enhance optimal health and development. The system includes both direct services, as well as governance and support structures that enable programs and services to be delivered effectively.
A “comprehensive early childhood system” is a well-organized network of programs, services, and resources designed to support children prenatally through their early years. This system is designed to provide a holistic approach to child development and early education, addressing the various needs and stages of a child's growth. To learn more about the Early Childhood System and its program elements, often referred to as “early childhood sectors,” click here.
Why Early Childhood Matters
Years of research on early childhood development confirms that providing quality early care and education from the prenatal period through age eight is essential for the healthy development of our children and families. It is also important to the economic vitality of our communities, our state, and our nation. However, in communities across Nevada, many families lack awareness of and access to quality early childhood services that will support their needs.
The science is clear. Children’s brains develop at their fastest pace during the early years when brain connections form at a rate of 1 million new neural connections per second. This intense period of learning and development means that the youngest brains are highly flexible and responsive to the environment as their foundational architecture is established. Ongoing advances in neuroscientific research reinforce what we now know – the early years are the most effective time to influence brain development and put children on a path to healthy development and lifelong well-being and achievement.
Adapted from the Nevada Early Childhood Advisory Council’s 2022-2024 Strategic Plan
The Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) project aims to build integrated maternal and early childhood systems of care that are equitable, sustainable, and inclusive of the health system. It promotes early developmental health and family well-being and increases family-centered access to care and engagement of the prenatal-to-three-year-old population.
The BUILD Initiative partners with state leaders to promote equitable, high-quality child- and family-serving systems that result in young children thriving and learning.
The Self-Sufficiency Standard defines the amount of income necessary to meet the basic needs of working-age families in Nevada without public or private assistance.
The purpose of the PDG B-5 Grant is to strengthen Nevada's Early Childhood Comprehensive System through collaborative partnership with stakeholders and families.
This brief is part of series from Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child which addresses the importance of early childhood development and the science that explains why this period of development is critical.
The state fiscal map provides data about how Nevada funds are targeted to specific outcomes, services, age groups, and populations and can inform decision making and future strategic public financing.
How did our children and families fare in 2023? In Nevada, our legislators meet once every two years to make critical decisions on funding, programs, and other policies that impact children and families. Read more about key pieces of legislation, some that passed and others that failed, impacting Nevada’s early childhood population.
The Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services, Child Care and Development Program is holding a public hearing on June 21, 2024 to review and receive input on the 2025-2027 Child Care and Development Fund State Plan.
The Nevada Early Childhood Family Leadership Council program was established in 2022 to ensure that families with young children in Nevada play an active role in the state's early childhood system.
This campaign is supported with funding from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Child Care and Development Fund through the America Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) administered by the Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services Child Care and Development Program (Federal Grant #2021, G990232) and the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five Initiative (PDG B-5) (Federal Grant #90TP099) administered by the Nevada Department of Education, Office of Early Learning and Development, subawarded to The Children’s Cabinet. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Departments, Division, Office nor ACF.
