The most rapid period of brain development occurs from the prenatal stage through age 3.¹ Experiences during these years have a lasting impact on children’s learning abilities, behavior, and overall health.² Positive influences, including a loving and nurturing caregiver or access to high-quality child care, can strengthen early childhood brain development (ECBD) and foster advantageous life outcomes.³ By funding and regulating public services and programs to help children learn and strengthen families, policy plays a unique role in ECBD.

The Episcopal Health Foundation partnered with TexProtects and Child Trends to conduct a survey to learn what state and local policymakers in Texas know about ECBD, and how they use that information in their decision making. This fact sheet provides a brief overview of key findings from the 60 policymakers who responded to the survey.⁴