The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s new KIDS COUNT policy report, The First Eight Years: Giving Kids a Foundation for Lifetime Success, sends a clear message that to meet the needs of kids, we need to focus on three goals:

• Supporting parents as they care for their children.
• Improving access to quality early care and education, health care and other services
• Ensuring that care is comprehensive and coordinated for all kids from birth through age eight

Research shows that when young children live in low income families, especially during infancy, the results can linger well into adulthood.  This report provides policymakers, advocates and citizens with information on how to meet the needs of every child between birth through age eight through evidence based policy solutions.  The report also features data on early childhood development for every state.