As part of Children’s Minnesota’s efforts to advocate for investment in early childhood development, Children’s partnered with Health Partners, Little Moments Count, Minnesota Public Radio, Hennepin County and Minnesota Prenatal to Three Coalition at Children’s Minneapolis hospital to screen the documentary No Small Matter.
Eighty percent of brain development occurs by age three, meaning that the first few years of a child’s life are essential to healthy adulthood. The documentary captures a variety of perspectives on early childhood development including those from parents of young children as they struggle day-to-day with child care issues, retired military leaders who have concerns about the preparedness of our next generation to serve and be good citizens, and psychology experts who study the brain architecture of our infants and toddlers.
Andre Dukes, senior director of Collective Impact—Early Childhood for the Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ), led a panel discussion about the film’s key messages with Mike Troy PhD, LP, Medical Director of Behavioral Services, Children’s Minnesota; Deb Lund, Executive Director, Baby Space; Rep. Dave Pinto, Chair, Early Childhood Finance and Policy Division; and Jamie Albert, Principal Associate, National League of Cities. The screening was attended by more than 150 people including Minnesota state representatives Kelly Morrison and Dave Pinto. Children’s Mike Troy discussed his work around toxic stress.
We would like to extend a special thanks to, Health Partners, Little Moments Count, Minnesota Public Radio, Hennepin County and Minnesota Prenatal to Three Coalition for their partnership on this screening.
To learn more about this topic, check out Children’s Minnesota advocacy, or watch Dr. Gigi Chawala, chief of general pediatrics, speak about the film on the WCCO Mid-Morning Show. If you would like to see the film, visit No Small Matter’s website to find dates and times of screenings near you.