Early Childhood Health Targeted As Path To Better Education

Experts are focusing more money and attention on the health of young children in Connecticut in an effort to prepare them to be successful in school later on. The efforts include developmental screenings at child care centers, home visits and information hotlines for parents, better collaboration with pediatricians and more support for preschool staff members dealing with emotional and behavioral issues. The idea is that if a child’s basic health needs aren’t met, he or she won’t be able to keep up with academic and social expectations in school. “There’s been a huge interest in addressing early childhood development with the understanding that’s where we get the most bang for the buck,” said Lisa Honigfeld, the vice president for health initiatives at The Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut. In the last 10 years, there has been “an explosion” of federal funding for early childhood initiatives to get children on track early and prevent spending on remediation down the road, Honigfeld said.