Vroom is a new campaign to help parents understand the importance of interaction and everyday moments in boosting their young children's brain development. I-LABS supports the science-based messages to parents in the campaign. Learn more about Vroom.
The Seattle Times featured the pilot launch of Vroom in South King County. Read the Seattle Times story.
By Katherine Long
Over the past dozen years, scientists have made compelling discoveries about how babies and young children build the neurological connections they need to understand their world.
They have pinpointed critical windows in development when babies are attuned to the nuances of all languages. They’ve learned that the quality of a parent’s chatter and a child’s response are strong predictors of future language skills.
They’ve found that for toddlers, screen time is no substitute for one-on-one play.
All that information often reaches the hands of well-educated parents, through popular books and parenting classes. But those same lessons may bypass low-income and immigrant families.
Pilot program
The Bezos Family Foundation has just launched a pilot program to put those discoveries — and a toolbox of practical tips on how to use them — into the hands of parents in the poorest neighborhoods in South King County.
Called Vroom, the program that began Saturday is essentially a privately funded, multipronged public-service announcement.
