Rob Reiner Is Giving His All for the Youngest Members in Every Family

From his portrayal of the sensitive and liberal-minded son-in-law known as ”Meathead’’ on the 1970s television series “All in the Family” to his more recent direction of such films as “This Is Spinal Tap” and “When Harry Met Sally,” Rob Reiner has long had a flair for comedy.

But Mr. Reiner is decidedly serious when he speaks about his philanthropic passion: insuring that every infant and toddler is properly nurtured.

For the past year, Mr. Reiner has been leading a high-profile national campaign to make parents, business and civic leaders, policy makers — and just about anyone else — aware of how important the first three years are in shaping a child’s future.

More than $3-million in cash — and at least $6-million in advertising space and other in-kind contributions — have been donated to the campaign by foundations, corporations, and other sources.

The campaign’s slogan, “I Am Your Child,” is meant to be a reminder that children need to be nurtured and ought to be one of the nation’s top priorities. The campaign has included public-service spots on television developed by the Advertising Council, a videotape for new parents about child rearing that includes information about brain development in babies, and a meeting with President Clinton to discuss early-childhood development.

The campaign also encouraged Newsweek magazine to devote a special issue to the topic. The issue, published last April, was sponsored by Johnson & Johnson. And, Mr. Reiner and his wife, Michele, produced a one-hour informational and star-studded television special on the subject that has been broadcast twice on ABC.

“The first three years of life are the most significant,” Mr. Reiner says. “The brain development that occurs during that time will affect a child’s ability to function in school and later in life.” And, he adds, scientific research shows that brain development can be enhanced or stunted, depending on how well a child is nurtured in those early years.

“I’ve taken it upon myself to disseminate that information to parents and policy makers,” says Mr. Reiner, who took a 17-month break from film making to devote himself full-time to work on efforts to help young kids.

The “I Am Your Child” campaign, supported by 18 foundations and corporations, got under way last April and was timed to coincide with a White House conference devoted to the issue.

Another major force behind the effort is the Families and Work Institute, which published a report on the brain research and is working with dozens of cities and states to develop programs to provide better care for babies. Among the foundations that have supported the campaign are the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Charles A. Dana Foundation, the Teresa & H. John Heinz III Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Corporate support has come from IBM, Kaiser Permanente, and Johnson & Johnson, among other companies.

For Mr. Reiner, the seed of interest was planted nearly two decades ago, as he underwent therapy to examine personal conflicts and failures, as well as successes, in his own life.

“It became very clear to me through my own introspection that the influences you had in the early years were significant in terms of how you functioned later on as an adult, and it occurred to me that if we were to have any significant impact on social outcomes for people, we’d have to make an investment early on.”

His interest in the subject has grown, he says, as his family has grown. He and his wife have two sons, ages 6 and 4, and an infant daughter. In 1994, Mr. Reiner came across information about “Starting Points,” a report issued by the Carnegie Corporation of New York that warned that America’s youngest children — those from birth to age 3 — were facing “a quiet crisis” of inadequate child care, poverty, and insufficient attention.

“It said in no uncertain terms what I’ve suspected to be true,” Mr. Reiner says.

He decided to organize a meet ing in his home that brought together policy makers, including a representative from Vice-President Gore’s office, respected pediatricians and other experts in early-childhood development, and influential people from the enter tainment industry, such as the director Steven Spielberg.

“As the conversation went around, I realized that what had not been done was any dissemination to the public of information about brain development,” Mr. Reiner says.

He decided to take on the task and started the Reiner Foundation to carry out the campaign. It has an operating budget of $350,000 and $2-million in assets, most of which is earmarked for specific projects relating to early-childhood development, says Chad Griffin, the charity’s executive director.

The “I Am Your Child” campaign is working with coalitions in every state to strengthen programs and policies that affect young children.

“I Am Your Child” is also co-sponsoring, with the Committee for Economic Development and Kaiser Permanente, a conference in April that will bring together corporate leaders and governors to explore how the business world, the health-care industry, and state governments can promote early-childhood development.

Although he recently returned to his career as a film maker, Mr. Reiner says he continues to devote at least half his time to early-childhood development.

Many non-profit leaders and experts working in the field praise his efforts. But some groups say they are frustrated that it took a high-profile publicity campaign like “I Am Your Child” to bring attention to an issue that they have been working on for years.

“Sometimes the people who have been doing the hard work and carrying the water aren’t always the first ones to be there when the well opens, because they’ve been busy doing the work,” says Matthew E. Melmed, executive director of Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families, a Washington charity. Nevertheless, adds Mr. Melmed, whose group has participated in the “I Am Your Child” campaign, the attention has helped Zero to Three reach new audiences.

For his part, Mr. Reiner refutes criticisms that his efforts eclipse the labor of others.

“I’ve been a national celebrity for 20 years, so people know who I am,” he says. “I can make things happen, and that, to me, is good for everybody.”

He adds: “A lot of people who have been working in this area a long time haven’t had the skills to get the message out. Hopefully, I’ve raised their profiles and made their lives easier.”

Although “I Am Your Child” initially focused on spreading information about scientific research, it is now turning its attention to child care, says Mr. Griffin of the Reiner Foundation. It is producing a 16-page brochure for parents on how to find high-quality child care, with an introduction by the talk-show host Rosie O’Donnell. Plans are also in the works to produce a videotape on child care, he says.

Mr. Reiner says he has been particularly successful in getting corporations involved. In addition to sponsoring the special Newsweek issue, Johnson & Johnson spent $750,000 to produce the child-rearing videotape, which is available in hospitals nationwide.

The Reiner Foundation has also teamed up with Fisher-Price, the children’s toy company, which is financing the child-care brochure. And Yahoo, the Internet search service, has pledged to devote space to publicize the child-care campaign.

Mr. Reiner says he has had less luck persuading more foundations to get on board.

“To get money out of foundations you’ve got to give them your first born,” he says.

His own charity, he says, “is still working on a shoestring.” But he has no plans to give up.

“We want to try to work with each and every group, with every state or community that wants to work with us, until we have solid early-childhood programs in every state.”