Communities have a significant effect on healthy child development. Research indicates that factors such as socio-economically mixed neighbourhoods, access to parks and play spaces, strong intersectoral support for early child development and neighbourhood safety all play a role in shaping children's lives.

Extensive research has been conducted on the importance of neighbourhoods in the lives of children. Clyde Hertzman from the Human Early Learning Partnership at the University of British Columbia highlights three ways neighbourhoods affect child development.

1. Parenting: Parenting behaviours can be transmitted from family to family in a neighbourhood. The informal day-to-day contact between parents creates similar parenting styles, domestic arrangements and the types of decisions parents make about children's participation in activities.
   
   
2. Neighbourhood Resources: A neighbourhood with a variety of programs and supports - such as libraries, playgrounds, preschools, early child development programs, family support programs and childcare-promotes child well-being by providing stimulating and enriching activities.
   
   
3. Neighbourhood Characteristics: Neighbourhood characteristics, such as family income and mobility - how often a family moves - are important because these characteristics affect neighbourhood cohesion. A high level of neighbourhood cohesion indirectly improves children's language development through its positive effects on parental emotional distress, social support, and health.