State policies can help build a strong foundation that puts young children, particularly vulnerablei young children, on a path to success. The Alliance for Early Success developed the Birth Through Age Eight State Policy Framework as a tool, or roadmap, that can inform decision-making and guide policy choices. It focuses attention on what is critical within and across different aspects of early childhood development to address the physical, social, and cognitive needs of young children within various contexts. The framework is the collective work of more than 150 experts, including leaders in the fields of early childhood and K-12 education, advocates, researchers, policymakers, and foundation officers. Building on decades of research and theory identifying the essential supports for children’s development, the framework emphasizes health, family support, and learning as critical policy areas, and standards, assessment practices, and accountability systems as critical foundations to implement the policies.