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People Change People: Professional Development, Possibility, and Purpose in a Time That Still Tests Us
Several years have passed, and I reflect with gratitude that we did much more than pivot. We created a new foundation.
Senior Director, Professional Innovations
"An essential way to improve the quality of life for babies is to support the adults in their lives, who in turn, help them thrive."
I still have an agenda. It is an agenda of kindness.
In 2021, I wrote about how my “Tigger-ness” had been shaken by the early pandemic years and everything that came with them. The world, our early childhood field, and our daily lives were being reshaped at a pace none of us could control. We were experimenting, improvising, holding our breath, and hoping our virtual professional development (PD) pilots would help lift our workforce during a time of great strain and loss. We tried bold things, we learned every day, and we grounded our work in compassion for each other and for the professionals who support young children and families.
Several years have passed, and I reflect with gratitude that we did much more than pivot. We created a new foundation.
What once felt temporary has become essential
Today we offer a full range of virtual learning opportunities. We support learners through live online sessions, self-paced modules, blended series, small cohort experiences, and many other accessible formats. We now offer individual registration for many PD programs which was unimaginable earlier in our history. Newer teammates sometimes do not realize how recent these developments are because it feels so natural now.
Most importantly, our newer virtual PD is not a lesser imitation of in-person training. It is intentionally designed, grounded in relationship building, and aligned with what we know about adult learning and child development. It reflects our commitment to meeting people where they are with respect, care, and practical tools.
At the same time, the world has not settled into ease. Many early childhood professionals remain overwhelmed. Families continue to carry heavy emotional and financial burdens. Stress, burnout, and turnover are real. Young children are experiencing disruptions, losses, and instability that they cannot name but that they feel deeply.
The need for steady, responsive, caring adults has only grown stronger.
Our focus on infant and early childhood mental health has never been more needed
Our learning experiences centered on emotional well-being and development are meeting urgent needs in the field. Professionals are asking for support to navigate the stress of their work, to care for themselves, and to understand the complex experiences of children and families. Virtual PD has allowed us to reach practitioners who might otherwise have been isolated by geography, workload, or limited time.
People sometimes ask if we will return to the earlier style of PD. I believe we already have something better. We have returned to the heart of what PD is meant to be, whether virtual, hybrid, or in-person; it is accessible, welcoming, supportive of all learners, and grounded in relationships and respect.
Did you know we offer team trainings?
The world continues to shift, but kindness remains steady
Life continues to move through seasons of uncertainty. Babies and toddlers do not get to pause their growth while adults navigate challenges. Their brains are building in real time. Their relationships are forming now. Families are doing their best under difficult circumstances.
Early childhood professionals show up every day even when the emotional weight is heavy. We must continue showing up for them.
I am not a naïve optimist. Even my Tigger springs sometimes need attention. However, my belief in people is not fragile. It is rooted in a lifelong conviction that human rights, human kindness, and human connection matter more than almost anything else. People change people. That is how our field works.
Young children cannot speak up for themselves. It is our responsibility to stand with them and for them. What we do today has real effects in the present. It also shapes future generations.
ZERO TO THREE is the only official source of training for DC:0–5, promoting an approach to diagnosis that is developmentally sensitive and relationship-based.
This continues to be an agenda of kindness
Kindness is not a soft idea in our field. It is practical, relational, stabilizing, and essential. It is a source of strength for the adults who care for children. It creates conditions that allow learning, healing, fairness, and growth to take hold.
As I look ahead, I hold a quiet hope that the work we are doing now will become seeds that future generations will experience as shade, nourishment, or comfort. We may only see the early signs of change, but those signs still matter. They give us direction and courage.
Where we go next
We keep listening.
We keep learning.
We keep refining our approaches.
We keep honoring the emotional labor of this work.
We keep uplifting fairness, belonging, and respect for every family and every professional.
We keep designing PD that holds learners with care and offers tools that can be used immediately.
We keep showing up for one another.
I am grateful to walk this path with you. The work is urgent and ongoing. It is also meaningful and shared.
People change people. Together, we are changing what is possible for babies, toddlers, families, and the workforce that supports them.
I am still rooting for us. I still believe in what we can do together. And I still have an agenda. It remains an agenda of kindness.
