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A Legacy of Care: HealthySteps at 30
Decades of research show that HealthySteps strengthens parent–child bonds, boosts developmental outcomes and helps families thrive.
National Director, HealthySteps
"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." - Frederick Douglass
HealthySteps turned 30 this year — and for me, this milestone is deeply personal.
For one, it’s the only job I’ve had since graduate school. I began my journey launching and expanding HealthySteps at Montefiore Health System in the Bronx and then, 10 years ago, joined ZERO TO THREE to help grow this transformational program nationwide. Through it all, I’ve had the privilege of working with a model that’s always striving to do better for babies, toddlers, and their families.
It’s also personal because I’ve witnessed the millions of families and professionals who’ve harnessed the power of HealthySteps to give children a stronger start. Some of the babies we served years ago are now parents themselves, and they are passing on what they learned, what they felt, and what they gained. That’s the magic of HealthySteps: it creates intergenerational change, giving every child a better beginning and every parent the tools to nurture their child’s future.
Why HealthySteps Endures
My work (and personal) ethos has always been about improvement. I’ve searched for smarter, more effective ways to reach young children, especially those living in poverty. And every time I’ve asked, “What works best?” the answer always brings me back to HealthySteps.
Whenever I’ve looked for a better or smarter way to reach the greatest number of babies and toddlers, I always come back to HealthySteps.
Science tells us. Grandmothers and kindergarten teachers tell us. And if we listen closely, children tell us too: the earliest years of life shape everything that follows.
That’s where dyadic (or “two-generation”) care comes in. This kind of care supports both the child and the caregiver, together. As the famous pediatrician D.W. Winnicott said, “there is no such thing as a baby… there is a baby and someone.” Or, as we like to say, babies don’t go the doctor by themselves.
In the pediatric setting, this means not only checking a baby’s growth chart, but also asking about and supporting a parent’s wellbeing, a family’s stability and the relationships that nurture healthy development.
HealthySteps promotes dyadic care by embedding child development and behavioral health promotion and prevention experts directly into pediatric primary care. These HealthySteps Specialists help families navigate milestones, behaviors, and emotions — ensuring that every visit is about the whole child and the whole family.
There’s no better place to reach young children and their families than pediatrics, and nothing better than HealthySteps to ensure every child gets the strong start they deserve.
After all these years, I haven’t found anything more effective at helping babies grow into healthy toddlers, toddlers into thriving children, and families into stronger, more confident communities. And every year that passes, I am reaffirmed in my belief by the stories we hear from families and professionals across the country, and the data and research that demonstrate consistently positive outcomes.
See how one pediatric visit can change everything.
A Legacy of Evidence and Impact
When HealthySteps launched in 1995, the idea that a child’s health was shaped as much by relationships as by height and weight was revolutionary. And the concept of a baby or toddler having mental health was inconceivable to many.
Right now, HealthySteps reaches more than half a million children and their families across the country. That’s more than halfway to our goal of reaching 1 million by 2032.
Decades of research show that HealthySteps strengthens parent–child bonds, boosts developmental outcomes and helps families thrive. Every interaction, moment of listening, coaching and caring, creates ripple effects that last a lifetime.
This progress is powered by an extraordinary community: HealthySteps Specialists, pediatricians, health system leaders, philanthropic partners, policymakers, ZERO TO THREE staff, and, most importantly, families. Together, we are reimagining what pediatric care can look like. We envision care that sees, supports and celebrates the connection between caregiver and child.
Thanks to an amazing network of HealthySteps Specialists, pediatricians, health system leaders, funders, and families, we are moving in the right direction — putting babies at the center and doing whatever it takes to give them brighter futures.
