Harvard Brandeis

A report by the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University proposes a research and development platform to catalyze development in early childhood policy and practice, fueled by advances in science and an emphasis on innovation. The platform builds on seminal MacArthur-supported research by the Research Network on Early Experience in Brain Development showing that the architecture of the developing brain is most open to the influence of relationships and experiences in early childhood. The proposed platform seeks to improve upon existing best practices in early childhood development by integrating new discoveries in neuroscience, molecular biology, and epigenetics to reduce the consequences of adversity – such as extreme poverty and exposure to violence – in early life.