bb.brief.no7 2/27/04 1:06 PM Page 3 no. 7 F E RAMING ARLY C D : HILDHOOD EVELOPMENT Strategic Communications and Public Preferences Franklin D. Gilliam and Susan Nall Bales NATIONAL CENTER FOR INFANT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD HEALTH POLICY JANUARY 2004 Overview This report focuses on the potential role that strategic communications can play in helping state MCH programs and their collaborating partners frame their message to enhance the public’s under- standing of the importance of early child development and the need for a comprehensive and inte- grated early childhood system. The framing of issues affects public policy preferences.How people think about an issue affects their actions.Researchers have studied the dominant frames that trigger reasoning on public issues because this information helps anticipate challenges,attitudinal barriers,and public misunderstand- ing of new or revised social policies.Communications research shows that: ■ People use mental shortcuts to make sense of the world. ■ Incoming information provides cues that connect to the pictures in our heads. ■ People get most of their information about public affairs from the news media,which plays an important role in creating “dominant frames”—how we think about what we hear. ■ Over time,we develop habits of thought and expectation,and configure incoming information to conform to this frame. Recently interviews have been conducted throughout the U.S.to better understand: ■ How the public and policymakers think about young children; ■ Which dominant frames are triggered when early childhood issues are discussed; ■ How the dominant frames affect policy choices;and ■ How dominant frames are reinforced,and how young children’s issues can be reframed to even- tually affect policy preferences and choices. (The authors interviewed civically active adults,defined as those who vote,participate in their com- munity,and pay attention to public affairs.) How Do the Public and Policymakers View Child Development? Research suggests that the public and many policymakers do not have a clear understanding of early child development. People are unable to relate particular interventions to child outcomes. As a result,many people default to other more accessible frames.Unfortunately,those other frames do not always support what is best for young children.From recent research,three such frames appear to be most common:the family,individualism,and safety. The Family:Normal development results from families raising children properly.Support from the community is not thought to be relevant. Individualism: Children are like little adults—responsible for their actions. Children are too pampered and sheltered for normal development.Interdependence is not valued. UCLACENTER Safety:Children face many dangers.Strict regulation and control is necessary to protect young FOR HEALTHIER CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES children from harm.Children are “precious objects”who should be protected from each other,and adults,rather than helped to develop through social interactions. What Do These Frames Prevent the Public from Understanding? Research shows that the public’s current frames do not recognize the importance of environmental ASSOCIATION OF MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH PROGRAMS context, including relationships, for children’s development.Things commonly associated with a developmental perspective—such as relationships with caregivers and other children,and emotion- al and social learning—are generally not part of the way most people think about care and supports that young children need. WOMEN’S AND CHILDREN’S BUILDING STATE EARLY CHILDHOOD COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEMS SERIES,NO.3 HEALTH POLICY CENTER BUILDING STATE EARLY CHILDHOOD COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEMS SERIES bb.brief.no7 2/27/04 1:06 PM Page 2 Where Do These Frames Come From? The Community Child: People appreciate that investing resources helps individual development and achievement and, News Media: A review of news media shows that when chil- over the long run,this benefits the community.This frame invokes dren are seen in the news, stories portray substantial concern a valued exchange between the child and the community.This about the safety of children and pay less attention to develop- frame may garner support for system capacity-building. mental issues and broad public policy themes. This further explains the public’s great concern about the safety of children. Where Does That Leave Us? What Do We It also explains an eagerness for children to be increasingly inde- Know About Framing Early Child Development? pendent.Depictions in the news media are consistent with the public viewpoints identified from research. ■ People do not generally have a working model of child development. Child Advocates’ Materials: Messages from advocates are inconsistent. Advocacy messages range from “everything” to ■ When reflected upon at all,child development is viewed as a closed,private system. “nothing”matters in child development.For instance,the pub- lic hears both that “schools need to take responsibility” and ■ There are three dominant frames that get in the way of the public’s perception of child development: family autono- that “preschool replaces poor home environments”.The pub- my,safety,and individualism. lic,policymakers,and parents need to understand causal con- nections between interventions and positive developmental ■ The reframes currently in use to focus attention on early childhood issues—child care, school readiness—are not outcomes. yielding the desired result. What Reframes for Early Childhood Policies Have ■ Some reframes – community,nurturance – have the poten- Been Attempted and with What Consequences? tial to move public opinion in the right direction. The following recommendations are offered for framing Child care:The public needs a better understanding of quality early child development in a way that better communicates child care and its associations with positive child developmen- ideas to the public: prime the discussion with values like nur- tal outcomes. Requests for better training and compensation turance and community;use simple language,such as “heads,” generally fall on deaf ears.Child care is perceived to be more “hearts,”“minds”; don’t focus only on brain development and about safety and security than about development.The “con- observable learning; don’t use an extortion method, such as tainer” metaphor suggests that the public believes that child “without early education,children will have behavior problems”; care is similar to package handling.Things associated with pos- use an exchange or future model,such as “give to children who itive child development may be needed to increase their valua- give back”;and connect children with their environment. tion of child care providers and training.Rather than thinking of child care as only a container,the public needs to understand Conclusion how high quality child care affects child development and edu- cation outcomes. Strategic communications can be a valuable tool to create sup- School readiness means little to ordinary people: School port within communities and build partnerships toward a sys- readiness is an unclear concept that does not engage ordinary tem that meets the needs of each young child.SECCS grantees people.Research on this concept suggests that the public per- can reframe traditional policy concerns in ways that get better ceives school readiness as focusing on cognitive and general traction among partners and the public. knowledge rather than social skills. Many people view school Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr., PhD is associate vice chancellor for Community readiness as “hurrying normal child development” and see it Partnerships at UCLA; founding director of the UCLA Center for Communi- using formal instruction,which they don’t support.Many think cations and Community; and professor of political science and policy studies at it gives “greater opportunity for a chosen few” and favors the UCLA.Susan Nall Bales,MAis president of the FrameWorks Institute. children of “fancy parents.”This conflicts with the public’s vision This brief has been adapted from the full report entitled Framing Early Childhood Development:Strategic Communications and Public Preferences. of public education as a means to create equal opportunity. Testable reframes: Reframes have the potential to change This series of reports supports the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau public perceptions.Some information is available on recasting (MCHB) State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (SECCS) Initiative, early childhood issues to move public perception.Additional which provides grants to states for improving early childhood services and systems. The series was edited by Neal Halfon, Thomas Rice, and Moira research and testing needs to be done to confirm that these Inkelas. The National Center for Infant and Early Childhood Health Policy is a frames resonate with different populations and can be used to partnership of the UCLACenter for Healthier Children, Families and Com- munities; The Women's and Children's Health Policy Center of the Johns help reframe important policy issues for the SECCS Initiative. Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; and the Association of Maternal Nourishing children: The notion of nutrition resonates. and Child Health Programs. It is funded by the Health Resources and Services This metaphor helps the public and policy makers realize that Administration, MCHB under a cooperative agreement. The reports and briefs in this series are available at just as nutrients have short and long-term impact,programs can http//:www.healthychild.edu/NationalCenter nourish the child’s mind—both cognitively and emotionally. UCLA CENTER FOR HEALTHIER CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES 1100 Glendon Avenue,Suite 850,Los Angeles,California 90024 Phone:(310) 794-2583 ■ Fax:(310) 794-2728 ■ Email:[email protected] ■ Web Site:http://healthychild.ucla.edu