No Small Matter is a feature-length documentary film and national engagement campaign that brings public attention to this vital question by sharing powerful stories and stunning truths about the human capacity for early intelligence and the potential for quality early care and education to benefit America’s social and economic future.
Our future depends on our youngest citizens. On how many words they hear in their first months of life. On how often they are held. On the kinds of experiences they have.
Yet even with business interests, scholars, and politicians on both sides of the aisle lining up to support the early childhood education cause, millions of American children are still not getting the care they need to succeed—or even to keep up. And while it’s the poorest children who are most vulnerable, middle class families are increasingly feeling the squeeze, as the cost of quality child care soars. So why, when the importance of quality early care and education is so widely accepted, do we continue to fail so many?
This multifaceted project reveals how our country is raising its youngest citizens, why making the most of this time in their lives is so crucial, and most importantly, what we can do to change the perception of when learning begins. The first major theatrical documentary to tackle this topic, No Small Matter is designed to kick-start the public conversation about early care and education. The ultimate goal: to produce an entertaining, accessible, and inspiring film that redefines the audience’s understanding of the issue and helps drive it to the top of the political agenda. Or, as one advocate put it, “not just to make a documentary about early childhood education, but to make the documentary about early childhood education.”
