During the first three years of life, the human brain undergoes astonishing development. These four activities - touching, talking, reading, and playing - can lay the foundation on which a child's life is built. Early brain development is largely shaped by environment; it is nurturing, supportive parenting that sparks a child's innate curiosity and desire to learn. This sets them on a path to lifetime learning.

An emergency such as a natural disaster often comes with little warning and very little time to plan. Even when a crisis hits on a more personal level (a house fire or loss of a job, for example) having a plan beforehand can help families cope.