Strong communities are built one child, one family, and one opportunity at a time. That idea is at the heart of Build Together, a special Early Learning and Early Literacy Edition from The Children’s Trust, created in partnership with Miami’s Community News.

The publication explores why investing in children during their earliest years matters and how those investments can strengthen families and the larger Miami-Dade community. Nearly 90 percent of brain development occurs before a child’s fifth birthday, making those early experiences critical to language, literacy, emotional well-being, and a child’s lifelong ability to learn and thrive.

At the center of Build Together is early literacy and the people, programs, and partnerships helping children become successful learners. Readers can discover the story behind The Children’s Trust Book Club, from how it began to the logistics of getting free books directly into the homes of children across Miami-Dade each month. Over its history, the Book Club has delivered more than 3.2 million books to more than 171,000 children.

But getting books into children's hands is only part of the story. Build Together also explores the powerful role parents and caregivers play in developing young readers and how reading together can become part of a child’s learning journey. Readers will also meet educators and literacy specialists working to keep children from falling behind and discover how libraries, schools, pediatricians and community organizations contribute to preparing children for success.

The publication widens the lens even further, examining the systems that support young children and their families, including Thrive by 5, high-quality child care, developmental screenings, early intervention, parenting programs, and specialized services. Together, these stories make the case that early learning extends far beyond education. It touches health, economic opportunity, workforce stability, and the strength of the entire community.

That broader impact is reflected through articles, columns, and opinion pieces from leaders and experts in different fields, including Trust Founding Chair David Lawrence Jr., Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Public Defender Carlos J. Martinez, and Miami Dade College President Madeline Pumariega. Their perspectives help illustrate the many ways investments in children can ripple outward across Miami-Dade.

Build Together ultimately offers readers both a closer look at the work happening today and a compelling reason to keep investing in Miami-Dade’s youngest residents.

Find a copy at a Miami’s Community News newsstand near you or read the Build Together Special Edition digitally.