Understanding the importance of mattering in early childhood—as well as strategies we can all use to help young children and their caregivers feel that they matter—feels particularly critical in our current moment. Policies and programs across a wide range of issues can send powerful signals that people matter—or that they don’t—from paid family leave, to housing and nutrition subsidies, to immigration laws.
The power of mattering is that it is remarkably actionable. Caregivers, teachers, business owners, early care providers, and policymakers all have a role to play in building a broader ecosystem of mattering that benefits us all.