Cochlear Limited obtained U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval on March 17, 2020 to lower the age of cochlear implantation from 12 months to 9 months for children with bilateral, profound sensorineural hearing loss. This important approval ensures children born deaf have earlier access to a cochlear implant which can provide them with the hearing capabilities to develop speech and language at a trajectory similar to their hearing peers. Ensuring children have access to sound as early as possible should be prioritized as surgeries begin resuming across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cochlear implants have been FDA approved for use in children since 1990 with CochlearTM Nucleus® Implants obtaining the first approval. Decades of research and current surgical and clinical practice underscore the efficacy of earlier implantation to achieve their personal best language and speech outcomes. The research and support in practice by trained hearing health professionals provided the foundation to approve the indication be lowered to 9 months, along with the considerable developments in technology and evolving speech coding strategies in modern day cochlear implant devices. While many early intervention factors contribute to a child succeeding with a cochlear implant, cochlear implants provide improved: auditory awareness of sounds at levels within the normal range of hearing; speech understanding, sound clarity and language skills; hearing in noise; quality of life; and educational outcomes. Up to 80% of children who received cochlear implants younger than 12 months of age demonstrate receptive vocabulary knowledge within the normal range by school entry, and 81% of children who receive cochlear implants early attend mainstream schools. In the U.S., the Cochlear Nucleus Implant System is intended for use in children 9 to 24 months of age who have bilateral profound sensorineural deafness and demonstrate limited benefit from appropriate binaural hearing aids. Children 2 years of age or older may demonstrate severe to profound hearing loss bilaterally. This FDA approval is extended to all current Cochlear Nucleus Implant models, as well as all models developed in the future by Cochlear. Cochlear implants are typically covered for children by Medicaid and most insurance plans.