Today, ZERO TO THREE, the nation’s leading early childhood development nonprofit dedicated to ensuring all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life, announced Dr. Myra Jones-Taylor will be stepping down from her position as chief policy officer, effective October 15, 2021, to focus on her New America Fellowship.
The fellowship supports visionary researchers who create powerful, exciting ideas that shape and influence conversations about the most pressing issues of our time. Dr. Jones-Taylor will focus on writing a book that reframes childcare as a public good, to put it on equal footing with K-12 education and infrastructure.
“We are immensely proud of Myra and have a deep appreciation for all she has accomplished over the course of her tenure with our organization,” said Matthew Melmed, Executive Director of ZERO TO THREE. “Myra has dedicated her career to helping babies in this country thrive, and we know that as an ardent advocate for America’s youngest, she will continue to do this important work in new and impactful ways.“
Under Dr. Jones-Taylor’s leadership, ZERO TO THREE’s long history of federal and state policy work has deepened with a robust policy agenda and close partnership with advocates and policymakers to push for solutions that improve the well-being of our nation’s infants and toddlers with special emphasis on those who face the greatest structural and historical barriers to crucial services.
“It has been an honor to be part of such an incredible mission,” shared Dr. Jones-Taylor. “I will miss being part of this team but will maintain my commitment to families and babies. We are in an extraordinary time right now – a once-in-a-generation opportunity to better serve our nation’s families and their babies.”
Prior to joining ZERO TO THREE, Dr. Jones-Taylor served as Connecticut’s founding Commissioner of Early Childhood, leading the cabinet-level state agency responsible for early care and education, home visiting, early intervention and child care licensing in the state, serving all children from birth through age five. Myra received her doctorate in American studies and anthropology from Yale University, and serves on the boards of All Our Kin and the Irving Harris Foundation.
