Key Issue Areas in Early Childhood Development

Passion. Persistence. Possibility. See why we do the work that we do.

All babies deserve a strong start.

If every adult made our issue areas a priority, society would have the knowledge and will to support all infants and toddlers in reaching their full potential.

From 0-3, babies are particularly sensitive to their environment and experiences. The neural connections in their brains work at outstanding speed building a foundation that follows us through life. ZERO TO THREE champions the boundless potential of infants and toddlers by addressing critical early childhood issues, shaping a world where every young child thrives.

By focusing on each of these key issue areas, we address the various ways that adults can support healthy childhood development and the benefits of strong relationships that last a lifetime.

We Focus on Key Issue Areas

Explore our issue areas to discover how we empower families, professionals and policymakers to transform the landscape of early childhood development.

Child Care

We provide resources and training for early childhood educators to advance their knowledge and skills in infant and toddler care practices. Through our Think Babies campaign, we advocate for policies that uplift the early childhood workforce and promote high-quality, affordable child care for all families.

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Child Welfare

ZERO TO THREE's programs connect families experiencing hardships and stressors due to a range of factors, from socio-economic to racial inequalities, with the support and services they need to facilitate healthy childhood development. Our Safe Babies™ program aims to help families create safe, happy and nurturing environments for infants and toddlers affected by adversity.

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Early Development

Our host of evidence-based resources features the latest scientific research on early childhood development. These resources are valuable for helping parents, caregivers and professionals understand their roles in a child's development and know when early intervention services are needed.

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Early Learning

We offer an extensive range of resources and tools for parents, caregivers and professionals designed to encourage language development, literacy and other forms of learning. Additionally, our programs improve access to developmental screenings to help identify and address early childhood education issues and concerns.

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Economic Security

Economic security is paramount to early childhood development, as it can affect a baby's emotional, mental and physical well-being. ZERO TO THREE advocates for key policies that boost families' economic security. From reinstating the expanded child tax credit to make child care more affordable, we strive to create a future where babies and toddlers are not raised in poverty.

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Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health

We created the groundbreaking DC:0-5™ manual, the first guide for diagnosing mental and development disorders in infants and toddlers. Our commitment to infant and early childhood mental health is a continuous effort, which is why we advocate for federal governments to include babies and toddlers in their funding for mental health resources, training and programs.

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Parenting

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Physical Health & Nutrition

As part of our goal to give babies a strong start, we help families access health resources and nutritious food for their infants and toddlers. We also help parents and caregivers navigate the health care system while providing support to pediatric primary care physicians through programs such as HealthySteps.

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Racial Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

ZERO TO THREE provides an extensive library of research-based resources and training aimed at fostering racial equity, diversity and inclusion in parenting, early childhood educator training and advocacy for policymakers. Our State of Babies Yearbook also contains valuable insight into the impact of race on early child development, which can inform policymakers' decisions.

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Trauma

Our early childhood professional development training, educational resources and programs pave the way for improving the understanding and handling of trauma in infants and toddlers. We equip caregivers and professionals with the necessary tools to support children with trauma and reduce the long-term effects.

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Get Involved

Learn about each issue area through our research-based, cutting-edge resources, check out our upcoming events and discover how you can support our efforts. Contact us to learn more about our work.