The New York Zero-to-Three Network (NYZTT) is the only inter-disciplinary organization focused exclusively on the prenatal period and the first three years of life. NYZTT members are a diverse group, including practitioners, educators, business executives, lawyers, academics, and people in the arts. Networking, education, and public awareness campaigns, along with opportunities for interdisciplinary learning and collaboration, have all been a part of our work for over three decades.

Since NYZTT was inaugurated, the organization has fostered cross-disciplinary dialogue, sharing the rapidly expanding scientific discoveries that confirm the importance of these early days as a foundation for healthy development. With the support of the Policy Center at ZERO TO THREE, NYZTT created the Infancy Leadership Circles based on this mounting evidence.

Beginning with the first statewide Infancy Conference in 2004, we have been working to formalize a local and state movement toward increasing investments in our youngest citizens at all levels. NYZTT’s multidisciplinary framework, organizational structure and commitment to building strong relationships uniquely qualify us to provide resources and mentoring to Infancy Leadership Circles, organized in communities across the state.

For the first 10 years, ILC activity was supported with funding from the NYS Head Start Collaboration Project and the NYS Council on Children and Families Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems grant. At one point 11 Infancy Leadership Circles, covering 14 counties, were meeting across the state. Two pre-existing groups added a 0-3 focus