Join in for Strolling Thunder 2026.
A Decade of Bringing Babies to Capitol Hill
Matthew Melmed reflects on the purpose and impact of Strolling Thunder leading up to the 10 year anniversary of the event.
Matthew Melmed
Executive Director, ZERO TO THREE
Since 1995, Matthew has championed the organization’s mission by uniting experts across diverse fields and translating early childhood development research into actionable resources and policies. Under his visionary leadership, ZERO TO THREE’s budget has grown more than 20-fold, enabling the organization to impact millions of parents, professionals and policymakers.
Ten years ago, ZERO TO THREE launched Strolling Thunder to bring babies to Washington, DC to make their needs a national priority.
The idea was simple and bold. Babies and their caregivers met face-to-face with lawmakers, with families sharing what their children need to get a strong start. It is an opportunity for lawmakers to meet their youngest constituents. Constituents who are rarely seen, let alone heard, on Capitol Hill.
I still remember strolling around the Capitol with hundreds of babies and families, meeting Members of Congress in their offices, and advocating for babies while, in some cases, helping change diapers on the Members desks. That moment crystallized something for me: policy looks very different when you see it through the eyes of a baby, or of a parent holding a baby.
That first Strolling Thunder planted a seed.
Over the past decade, families from every state and Washington, DC have shown up, not as symbols, but as partners. One of the greatest satisfactions of this work has been meeting hundreds of families from across the country and hearing their stories firsthand. Their stories are not only about struggles and barriers. They are stories of strength, resilience, creativity, and deep commitment to children. Most of all, their stories are real and they’re urgent.
Families have reminded Members of Congress that early childhood policy is not abstract or theoretical. It shapes real lives in real time, during the most formative years a child will ever have.
I have watched this movement grow. I have seen lawmakers’ perspectives shift when a parent explains how difficult it is to find child care or how paid leave would have changed those first fragile weeks at home. I have seen bipartisan opportunities open when families speak from love, exhaustion, hope, and determination.
There is also tangible validation in seeing policymakers and members of Congress from across the political spectrum, join families – rain or shine – at the Strolling Thunder rally, just outside their Capitol Hill offices. When elected leaders show up, listen, and lend their voices, it sends a powerful message that supporting babies is not a partisan issue. It is our nation’s responsibility.
Now, 10 years in, with Strolling Thunder, families are navigating rising costs and fragile systems, all during the most critical years of a child’s development.
Parents are doing everything they can. Love is abundant. But, love isn’t enough.
I see this clearly each year at Strolling Thunder, when families talk about juggling child care, work and health needs while still finding the time and energy to show up and advocate, not just for their own children, but for all babies. Many arrive in DC tired and stretched thin, but they are still determined to make their voices heard because they know how much these early years matter.
When elected leaders show up, listen, and lend their voices, it sends a powerful message that supporting babies is not a partisan issue. It is our nation’s responsibility.
That is why Strolling Thunder matters as much now as it did 10 years ago, perhaps more.
And that is why I believe, deeply, that it is time.
Time to invest in babies.
Time to support families.
Time to ensure our policies reflect our values.
Babies are nonpartisan. Their futures are shared. And their voices, carried by families, belong in the halls where decisions are made.
