Baby Day ‘more than just a day,’ says Baker Institute expert

EXPERT ALERT

Jeff Falk
713-348-6775
jfalk@rice.edu

Baby Day ‘more than just a day,’ says Baker Institute expert

HOUSTON – (Feb. 7, 2019) – This Friday, Feb. 8, is Baby Day, the first Texas-wide celebration of the critical first three years of life.

Credit: 123RF.com/Rice University

“These key years of growth and brain development are influenced by bonding, attachment and interactions with adult caregivers,” said Quianta Moore, fellow in child health policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, who is available for interviews about Baby Day and its importance for families and communities across the state and country. The day is spearheaded by the Texas nonprofit First3Years.

“Baby Day is a celebration that provides the unique opportunity to raise awareness of the significant impact the early years have on outcomes later in life and what an important role parents, providers, businesses and the community can play in raising the next generation to be healthy, happy and productive members of society,” Moore said.

Eighty-five percent of core brain development happens by the time a child is 3 years old, and 54 percent of parents wish they had more information about being a better parent, Moore said. Locally, the Baker Institute has partnered with the Houston Health Department and Harris County to make research on early brain development accessible to parents, she said.

“Baby Day is more than just a day. It is part of a larger movement to bring increased awareness and resources to the first three years of a child’s life, when investments have been shown to have the greatest social return and early brains are wired for learning,” Moore said.

Moore’s research focuses on developing empirically informed policies to advance the health of children. She uses mixed methodologies, including community-based research and surveys, to gain insight into the health needs of communities and to develop data-driven, tailored health policy recommendations. Moreover, she helps funders and community stakeholders develop strategies to support an equitable future for children and their communities.

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For more information or to schedule an interview with Moore, contact Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775. The Baker Institute has a radio and television studio available for media.

Related materials:

Moore bio: www.bakerinstitute.org/experts/quianta-moore

Follow the Baker Institute via Twitter @BakerInstitute.

Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews.

Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute ranks among the top three university-affiliated think tanks in the world. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows, Rice University faculty scholars and staff, coupled with its outreach to the Rice student body through fellow-taught classes — including a public policy course — and student leadership and internship programs. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.