Our mission

The New York Zero-to-Three Network supports the professional development and collaborative capacities of the multi-disciplinary early childhood workforce across New York State. With a commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, we provide education and support policies that promote the health and well-being of infants, toddlers, and families from the prenatal period through the first three years of life.

  • the formative years of life (birth to three) are a period of great growth, but also a period of extreme vulnerability for infants, toddlers and families.

  • there is a developing body of concepts and principles common to all disciplines involved with children and their families in the earliest years of life. We believe that this generic core complements the specific knowledge base contributed by each discipline.

  • every area of a child’s development influences every other. In order to meet the needs of the whole child and family, comprehensive services are required. For this reason, members of the individual disciplines can no longer work in isolation but need to pool their knowledge and skills.

We come together because we recognize:

We believe effective intervention with infants, toddlers and families is characterized by the following core concepts, attitudes and skills:

Understanding that developmental processes occur within the context of emerging attachments and maturing relationships.

Appreciation of the cultural diversity of families and an ability to respond to their traditional or unique composition.

Awareness that childcare practitioners need ongoing training and collegial support.

Respect for each infant’s unique mix of strengths and vulnerabilities.

Recognition that human growth includes multiple, interrelated lines of development (e.g. neurophysiological)

Ability to foster and support the relationships between child and family and among child, family and practitioner.