ZERO TO THREE's Response to President Trump’s 2018 State of the Union Address

“ZERO TO THREE is committed to ensuring the best possible outcomes for hard working families of very young children. They are, after all, bringing up the next generation of workers and leaders in this country. We were pleased to hear the President’s commitment to job growth, economic competitiveness, and a strong infrastructure. Putting Americans to work in high value and secure jobs is crucial to the success and independence of their families.

But sustaining this strength in the long-run demands an equally strong investment in our human infrastructure – our babies. Research shows that a baby’s brain makes more than one million neural connections every second, laying the groundwork for all future learning and development. Programs and policies that ensure that babies get the supports they need during this critical time – such as quality child care, paid family leave, health care, and parenting support through home visits – give us the strongest chance to create a productive workforce and successful economy. Ultimately, the state of our union in the future depends on how we invest in the health and wellbeing of babies now.

Despite having this clear path to long-term economic competitiveness, Congress is allowing many of the programs that support babies’ healthy development to languish. We call on the Congress and the President to take care of the unfinished business before them, including a deal on funding for FY2018 that raises the caps on domestic spending, and reauthorizing the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, before they move on to the next new thing. The families raising our country’s future workforce deserve no less.”