The Early Years Matter

The Early Years Matter is an organization created with the purpose of identifying and providing resources to parents and caregivers of young children between the ages of birth to five. The organization's primary objective is to provide practical knowledge about the needs of young children, why these needs matter so much and how parents can go about meeting these needs.

The Early Years Matter helps parents make informed choices about the early care and education of their young children. It provides information to parents and the public about the vital importance of indoor and outdoor play to the developing brain in early childhood and beyond.

The Early Years Matter is sponsored by the Long Island Fund for Women and Girls (LIFWG) and the Long Island Women's Agenda (LIWA).

The involvement of LIFWG and LIWA will help to build a wide, diverse constituency for quality early care and education and serve to strengthen the voices speaking out for adequate family support services on Long Island. By using the media to publicize the importance of pre kindergarten education and connecting existing resources under the EYM brand, the public will be informed of the many community based organizations which recognize the importance of the early years and are working together to assist parents and families.

The Early Years Matter: What Every Parent Needs to Know Parenting Workshops and Awareness Series was launched on February 27, 2006 at a press briefing at the Long Island Children's Museum with a presentation by Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy.

The material presented in the workshops was based on research that has shown that the years 0-5 years are the most significant in the development of a child’s brain and the notion that young children are developing in many important ways and have fundamental needs that must be met to grow and thrive. The workshops were designed to help parents:

*Make the most of their child’s early years
*Understand what school readiness means
*Recognize and find quality child care
*Learn how to be an advocate for their child
*Know where to find help in the community

On May 22, 2007 The Early Years Matter: Smart, Healthy, Happy Children – Start with Play Program was launched. It was sponsored by the [http://www.lifwg.org Long Island Fund for Women and Girls] and the [http://www.liwa.org Long Island Women's Agenda] , in affiliation with the [http://www.childcarenassau.org Child Care Council of Nassau] and [http://www.childcaresuffolk.org Suffolk] , Early Care and Education Long Island, [http://www.hhfdn.org The Horace Hagedorn Foundation] , [http://www.motherscenter.org National Association of Mother's Centers] , [http://www.parentingmatters.org Parenting Matters] and the [http://www.rauchfoundation.org Rauch Foundation] .

The Early Years Matter organization provides information to parents and the public about the vital importance of indoor and outdoor play to the developing brain in early childhood and beyond. The goal is to engage and educate parents and caregivers on the importance of quality early care and emphasize the importance of play as an integral and vital part to the development of self.

Access to professionals in early childhood development and education are available on the website. The Early Years Matter website also provides a speakers bureau organized by name and topic.

Printed Materials on the “Importance of Play” are available for download on the site in English, Spanish, and Chinese.

Links to organizations that provide help in finding child care are available as well as a directory of New York State and National organizations that are focused on helping parents and caregivers with early child care and education.

External links

* [http://www.theearlyyearsmatter.org The Early Years Matter website]
* [http://www.lifwg.org Long Island Fund For Women and Girls website]
* [http://www.liwa.org Long Island Women's Agenda]