ZERO TO THREE

09/15/2026

Two languages don’t confuse a baby’s brain. They get it working.

And books? They’re even more powerful when reading becomes a conversation.

At the LEARN Conference 2026, one Baby Talk explores dialogic reading and how interactive reading can support language and literacy development for young dual language learners. See the full schedule: https://bit.ly/3Rxp8l5

09/15/2026

Head Start has served over 40 million children over the past 60 years, providing critical child care for families across the nation. However, the Administration has proposed a new rule that ignores decades of evidence and eliminates important Head Start and Early Head Start requirements like child-to-staff ratios that keep children safe as well as many services for pregnant and postpartum moms, mental health services and many other comprehensive supports that have made Head Start and Early Head Start one of the nation’s most effective programs for babies, young children and families.

Moms, families, and Head Start advocates are in Capitol Hill today along with MomsRising.org, National Women's Law Center, ZERO TO THREE, The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), CLASP, Children's Defense Fund, and Together for Head Start for a press conference focused on proposed changes to Head Start to weaken the program’s standards and services, and to advocate for families across the country that rely on this critical program and say “have a heart, protect Head Start!” https://bit.ly/4A9gD1H

Head Start Press Conference 9/15

09/14/2026

AI Leaders say we need to take a pause. We need to listen to them and when the conversation restarts, let's ensure that we're building connections and that early childhood is part of the conversation.

Learn more and get resources at zerotothree.org/AI

09/14/2026

For families in rural Washington, accessing early childhood services can mean traveling an hour or more to reach the support they need.

In Grant and Grays Harbor counties, local partners are working to connect families with resources available right in their communities.

By bringing state and community partners together around a shared vision, Washington is helping make it easier for families to find support – creating more opportunities for children to thrive. Learn more in the newest video from our Early Childhood Developmental Health Systems: Evidence to Impact Center: https://bit.ly/3SEz9hq

09/13/2026

Quality child care is a public good, fueling our country’s economic engine by helping parents work, and also building the workforce of the future.

But, unlike K-12 education, which is largely funded through public dollars, the United States places the majority of the burden for paying for child care on parents of young children, subsidized by the low wages of the early educators who provide care. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4xhCH8h

09/12/2026

Support can change everything.

For the families in this video, having the right resources, someone to listen or simply knowing where to turn made a difference. And for others, that support wasn't there when they needed it most.

Their stories are different, but the message is the same: families shouldn't have to struggle to find the help they need.

Believing in babies means believing in strong support for the people raising them. Because when families have the resources they need to thrive, babies have a stronger start. Join us: https://bit.ly/4txHq4n

09/11/2026

A baby’s amygdala is already well developed at birth. And the connections between the amygdala and other parts of the brain continue to develop rapidly during infancy.

Connecting to a large network of the brain including the brainstem, the amygdala helps our brain notice and respond to emotionally important information. Newborns can recognize familiar sensory experiences, such as a familiar voices, smells, sights and touch, while discomfort or stress can activate physiological responses such as a faster heart rate, rapid breathing, a tense body or a grimace.

These early months are an important period of brain development. Research shows that wiring of the amygdala changes substantially during infancy, and individual differences in amygdala connectivity present shortly after birth have been associated with later differences in fear, sadness and internalizing mental health symptoms by age 2.

Explore the Baby Brain Map to learn more about the science of the developing brain and babies’ earliest experiences: https://bit.ly/4w3j4jg

09/10/2026

How do you keep the spark alive in your career?

For early childhood mental health therapist Maranyely, professional development is part of the answer.

Continuing to learn, finding new ways to approach the work and connecting with people who understand the field help her remember her “why.” And the ZERO TO THREE LEARN Conference is one of the places she turns to do just that.

At LEARN, early childhood professionals can learn from experts in the field, discover resources, connect with peers and bring new knowledge back to their work with babies, toddlers and families.

As Maranyely puts it: “If you’ve been thinking about attending a conference, this is the one to attend.”

Ready to keep learning and keep that spark alive? Learn more about the ZERO TO THREE LEARN Conference: https://www.zerotothree.org/learn-conference/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=conference

09/09/2026

Anyone who has spent time with a three-year-old knows they’re not going to agree with you all the time. And that’s a good thing.

Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, The Brookings Institution senior fellow and ZERO TO THREE Board Member, explains why she’s concerned about AI toys that promise to be a child’s “friend” but are designed to be endlessly agreeable.

Kids need real relationships, including the disagreements, negotiations and messy moments. That’s part of how they learn to be with other people.

It’s one of the many questions explored during today’s Generation AI Starts Early symposium: How do we make sure AI supports healthy development while keeping human relationships at the center?

Learn more about AI: https://bit.ly/44vRPCi

09/08/2026

Families should not have to compete for support.

We can invest in affordable, high-quality child care AND support parents who stay home. We can strengthen maternal and infant health AND help families struggling with infertility.

This isn’t either/or. All of these families are worthy of support. Instead of making families compete, leaders can choose to invest in the policies and programs that give every family the support they need and every child the opportunity to thrive.

Read the piece by The New York Times: https://nyti.ms/3ST3sRp