Parent Nation
our interview
We had the honor and privilege of interviewing esteemed writer and pediatrician, Dr. Dana Suskind – author of Parent Nation – and getting her take, first-hand, on where the United States stands in relation to other countries in terms of providing support for young children and their families. The truth is quite shocking.
The book
Instant New York Times Bestseller (as well as the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller) and written by Suskind, Parent Nation offers a powerful blueprint for a society that helps all families meet the developmental needs of their children. Weaving together the latest science on the developing brain with stories of families from all walks of life, Dr. Suskind shows that the status quo— scores of parents left to shoulder the enormous responsibility of early childhood care and education on their own —is not only unsustainable, but deeply detrimental to children, families, and society.
build it
A PARENT NATION is built by:
- FOSTERING COMMUNITY
PARENTS CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO GO IT ALONE WHEN ENGAGED IN THE IMPORTANT WORK OF RAISING CHILDREN.
- FORGING COLLECTIVE IDENTITY
THE TENS OF MILLIONS OF PARENTS IN THE U.S. ARE UNITED BY AN OVERWHELMING DESIRE TO DO RIGHT BY THEIR CHILDREN.
- FIGHTING FOR CHANGE
WHEN A GROUP OF PEOPLE SPEAKS WITH ONE VOICE, SOCIETY LISTENS. IT’S TIME FOR PARENTS AND ALLIES TO DEMAND MORE.
dr. suskind
Dana Suskind, MD, is Founder and Co-Director of the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health, Founder of the Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program, and Professor of Surgery, Pediatrics, and Public Policy (affiliated) at the University of Chicago. Her research and clinical life is dedicated to optimizing foundational brain development and preventing early cognitive disparities and their lifelong impact. Her work is focused in particular on helping parents leverage their power as brain architects.
Dr. Suskind is the author of Thirty Million Words: Building a Child’s Brain. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a Fellow for the Council on Early Childhood. Her work has been profiled by numerous media outlets, including the New York Times, The Economist, Forbes, NPR, and Freakonomics.
The Power
Of Talk & Interaction
Research shows that how and how much parents and caregivers talk and interact with their children has a big impact on the children’s success in school and life. The TMW Center supports parents on this journey with resources that helps them harness the power of their talk and interaction to build their children’s brains and shape their futures. At the core of these resources is the 3Ts—Tune In, Talk More, and Take Turns—a simple, yet powerful tool that equips parents to make the most of everyday moments with their young children.
in real time
SCZF President Elliot Steinberg and Dana Suskind at the Hunt Institute’s 2022 Early Education Leadership Summit in Phoenix, AZ
From Wednesday, August 24 – Friday, August 26, 2022, The Hunt Institute hosted a bipartisan convening with 52 state teams, including Puerto Rico and Washington DC, comprised of senior elected officials, gubernatorial staff, and key early childhood system leaders for the 2022 Early Childhood Leadership Summit in Phoenix, AZ.
Across the three-day convening, teams heard from prestigious keynote speakers and panelists, including fellow elected leaders and some of the nation’s leading early childhood experts, in addition to spending time considering high-impact strategies to improve early childhood education in their states.
Teams also had the opportunity to connect, collaborate, and network with one another on critically important early childhood topics and discuss how to address the most pressing early childhood needs within each state.
SZCF’s President Elliot Steinberg attended and spoke at the event, along with Dr. Dana Suskind, who was introduced by Steinberg as the event’s keynote speaker.
