Imagine a Bermuda where every child is poised to reach their fullest potential. Each of us has the power to make this a reality.

The key lies in early childhood development. The first three years of a child’s life — what we call early childhood — are the most important for brain development. This critical period forms the blueprint for who a child will become: 80 per cent of the brain’s structure is formed by the time a child turns 3.

While every family want the best for their children, it can be hard to know if children are developing on the right track, and even harder to know how — and when — they need help. That’s why we have created the Early Years Nurturing Bermuda website. Our mission is to raise awareness of issues around early childhood development and to support and equip parents and caregivers with information and resources so that all children in Bermuda have an opportunity to succeed.

Investing in stronger early childhood development has long-lasting academic, social and economic ramifications that affect both the child and society at large. Healthy early childhood development improves children’s readiness for school, which often leads to higher literacy rates. These heightened literacy rates lower the chances of children dropping out of school later in life; the Children’s Reading Foundation in the United States found that the largest portion of school dropouts consisted of students who were behind in school readiness when they started kindergarten.

With higher literacy skills, children are more likely to go into higher education and find higher-paying jobs. According to the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation, literacy skills at the age of 7 are linked to “higher socioeconomic status at age 42, defined in terms of income, homeownership and occupation”. A skilled workforce with disposable income benefits the economy, allowing for further investments in improving the quality of life for all.

From a social perspective, healthier early childhood development also helps make communities stronger and creates more responsible citizens. When fewer students drop out of school, there is a reduction in crime. This also extends to reduced rates of incarceration: about two thirds of students who lack proficient reading skills by the end of fourth grade end up in jail or on social assistance, according to BeginToRead.

Something as seemingly small as promoting healthy child development can fix many large and complex societal problems.

Early Years Nurturing Bermuda explores this by delving into the science and research behind early childhood development, as well as tips on how families can support their children. It will also share links to helpful websites, toolkits, and local resources that support children’s early years development. Lastly, it includes a handy guide to developmental milestones, how to know if a child is missing them, and lists of places to seek help if a child needs additional support.

All of these tools are available for families, community members and professionals to access today — at no cost. When we are empowered to encourage healthy early childhood development and recognise developmental milestones at home, we are one step closer to setting our children up to thrive.

We hope you will join us on this journey to a brighter future for the island. Visit the Early Years Nurturing Bermuda website at earlyyearsnurturingbda.org and share it with your friends and family. The more people know about early childhood development, the better off we will all be.

• Cummings V. Zuill is the founding chairman of the EYNB Initiative Fund Advisory Committee, promoting early childhood development awareness

About Cummings V. Zuill:

Born and raised in Bermuda, Cummings V. Zuill has spent more than five decades contributing to the island’s business and philanthropic sectors. A Trinity College graduate, he helped expand the Bank of Bermuda’s international business, opening offices in Guernsey and Hong Kong, and retired as senior vice-president in 2000.

His philanthropic contributions include serving as Director of Atlantic Philanthropies (1986-2013), which honoured him with the Cummings V. Zuill Leadership Award Scholarship, and as founding chairman of The Centre on Philanthropy. He also served as a charity commissioner (1988-2013) on the Hemera Foundation Board (2007-2023). In 2007, he was named a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his community service.

Mr Zuill is married to artist and decorating consultant Kathy Zuill, who shares his passion for community service