At a time when bipartisan agreement is often difficult to find, legislative agreement for a joint resolution on early childhood brain development is a welcome sign. Five Republicans joined 15 Democrats to sponsor Senate Joint Resolution 59, which passed both the Wisconsin Senate and Assembly on January 17, 2014.
The resolution states that the Wisconsin legislature “will acknowledge and take into account the principles of early childhood brain development and will, whenever possible, consider the concepts of toxic stress, early adversity, and buffering relationships, and note the role of early intervention and investment in early childhood years as important strategies to achieve a lasting foundation for a more prosperous and sustainable state through investing in human capital.”
The resolution refers to the last two decades of research about what influences the brain architecture of a young child’s brain development, and indicates that it is less costly and more effective to positively affect the brain than to correct poor learning, health and behaviors later in life.
The resolution provides a solid framework for the legislature’s deliberations.
For more information, go to Joint Resolution on Early Childhood Brain Development.