Our mission is to ensure all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life. ZERO TO THREE is a nonpartisan 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
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06/17/2026
The lack of access to quality early learning and care affects babies during their most critical period of development. As families are priced out and providers shut their doors, parents are forced to choose between caregiving and responsibilities like work or school. Child care is the work that helps everyone else work.
It’s time for all of us to show up with our Strolling Thunder families: https://bit.ly/3LDrNXV
06/15/2026
Trauma can leave lasting effects on a child's body and brain, even after a stressful event has ended.
In a recent story from Minnesota, families, educators and mental health professionals described how children continued to struggle with fear, anxiety, sleep challenges and other signs of stress months after a period of community upheaval.
As our senior director of programs, Rebecca Parlakian explains, when young children experience sustained traumatic stress, their brains can reorganize themselves for survival. That's why helping children feel safe, supported, and connected is so important, not only for their emotional well-being, but for their healthy development.
Read the article: https://bit.ly/4o7qsHz
Deep within the enclosure, a young explorer investigates a curious structure.
Its purpose remains unknown.
Its texture demands further study.
Its flavor, apparently, warrants repeated testing.
For those seeking to understand the hidden forces driving these behaviors, the Baby Brain Map serves as a valuable field guide to the developing mind.
The expedition continues: https://bit.ly/44Gk4Pp
06/13/2026
Learn more about the important role play has in early development: https://bit.ly/3VEalEQ
And don't forget, it's ok for grown-ups to play, too.
Prenatal toxic stress is one of the strongest predictors of postpartum depression.
In the general population, 10 to 20 percent of mothers experience it. For women facing poverty or high adversity, that number can reach 40 percent.
This is a call to act.
When mothers are supported, babies are stronger from the start. Mental health begins before birth. Care must begin there, too.
Believe In Babies. Believe In Moms. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4tFEKl9
06/11/2026
“My brain is growing faster right now than it ever will again.”
– Baby Joshua
Joshua is full of energy, laughter, and curiosity. His mom, Trisha, knows the little things like snuggles, bedtime songs and banana breakfasts are shaping his future.
But not every baby gets the same strong start. And not every parent has the support they need to give it.
Believing in babies means investing in the relationships, moments, and care that fuel early brain development. Because love and connection in the first years change everything.
Join the movement. Help more babies thrive: https://bit.ly/4txHq4n
Our littlest advocates can't vote. Some can't walk. Some can't talk. A few are still working on solid foods.
But every one of them deserves policies that help them thrive.
Thank you to everyone for being a part of Strolling Thunder™.
Tune in next week as our families from across the country continue to meet with lawmakers to talk about what they need:
• Affordable, high-quality child care
• Accessible health care
• Mental health support
• Economic security
06/09/2026
Today marked the 10th Strolling Thunder™, bringing together families from across the country to advocate for babies and toddlers both virtually and on Capitol Hill.
For a decade, Strolling Thunder has amplified family voices and pushed for policies that help babies thrive, including:
• Affordable child care
• Paid family and medical leave
• Infant and early childhood mental health
• Economic security for families
Because supporting babies takes more than celebrating their arrival. It takes policies that help families thrive from the very beginning.
Thank you to every family, advocate and policy champion who made this milestone year possible. Here's to the next decade of making babies a national priority.
06/09/2026
Tiny footsteps. Big impact. Today, our littlest advocates are making huge strides through the halls of Congress.
Watch the rally live at 12 PM EDT: https://bit.ly/3LDrNXV