Strengthening the Prenatal-to-Three System: Policy and Governance Strengths and Opportunities for all South Dakota Children
What is a touchpoint?
A child’s brain undergoes rapid development during the first three years of life, making this period crucial for their overall growth. Each new brain connection formed during this time has been referred to as a “touchpoint,” which is why we named our informational webinar series after this important milestone in a child’s development. Through these hour-long, interactive webinars, our goal is to help you create your own touchpoints across South Dakota, contributing to the healthy development of all the state’s children.
Strengthening the Prenatal-to-Three System: Policy and Governance Strengths and Opportunities for all South Dakota Children
Dr. Cynthia Osborne of the Prenatal-to-Three (PN-3) Policy Impact Center at Vanderbilt University will share insights on how state policy and governance can shape better outcomes for young children and families in South Dakota. Dr. Osborne will review the 2025 South Dakota State Roadmap, highlighting policy opportunities and key indicators of child and family well-being in South Dakota. In addition, she will review lessons learned from the PN-3 Policy Impact Center’s recent work on early childhood governance.
Participants will:
- Learn about existing state policies that improve health outcomes for the Prenatal-to-Three (P-3) population.
- Understand governance structures that support coordinated state systems serving young children and their families.
- Identify strengths and opportunities to ensure a strong start for all South Dakota children.
Speaker: Dr. Cynthia Osborne of the Prenatal-to-Three (PN-3) Policy Impact Center at Vanderbilt University
Cynthia Osborne is a Professor of Early Childhood Education and Policy in the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. She is the founder and executive director of the national Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, an academic research center that translates the science of the developing child into state level policies with the strongest evidence base of effectiveness. Osborne is a 2023 Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow and has also co-authored reports for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committee on Building an Agenda to Reduce the Number of Children in Poverty by Half in 10 Years and Exploring the Opportunity Gap for Young Children from Birth to Age Eight. Osborne holds a Ph.D. in demography and public affairs from Princeton University, a Master in Public Policy degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and a Master of Arts in education from Claremont Graduate University.
CEUs: SD Board of Social Work Examiners This organization (University of South Dakota – Provider #1048) is approved as a provider for continuing education by the South Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners. Social workers will receive up to 1.0 Continuing Education clock hours for participating in this course.
