What the mission means to Sam
For most of my own childhood I was raised by a single parent, so I understand firsthand the critical importance of financial resources, health and mental health care services, and strong relationships for child development and family well-being. ZERO TO THREE’s commitment to ensuring that all young children and their families have access to the opportunities they need to thrive is personal for me.
Professional Background
Samantha (Sam) Melvin brings more than a decade of child development and early childhood policy research and evaluation experience to the ZERO TO THREE community. Before joining ZERO TO THREE as Policy Research Director, Sam was an Assistant Research Professor at Erikson Institute, where she led community-engaged policy research focused primarily on the home-based child care workforce, including how public pre-k, licensing, subsidy, and quality improvement systems can better support educators’ unique strengths and needs.
Prior to that work, Sam held multiple positions at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she completed her PhD in Early Childhood Education Policy. At the National Center for Children and Families Sam conducted policy research on the implementation of NYC’s PreK for All and Early Learn programs and contributed to The Early Advantage: Building Systems that Work for Young Children. At the Neurocognition, Early Experience, and Development Lab, Sam connected insights from neurocognitive and brain development to better understand the how factors like experiencing poverty and caregiver stress impact child development, as well as how interventions like unconditional cash transfers may support children and families. Sam has also worked as an assistant toddler teacher and an independent consultant, supporting non-profits in using data for continuous quality improvement to enhance their impact for the children and communities they serve. Sam received her BA degree from Wesleyan University, where her time in the Cognitive Development Labs kicked off her interest in translational research that benefits babies.
Awards
- Early Career Interdisciplinary Scholars Fellowship, Society for Research on Child Development, 2023
- Child Care Dissertation Award, U.S. Administration for Children and Families, Office of Policy Research and Evaluation, 2020
- Early Career Scholar Award, NYC Early Childhood Research Network, 2019
Future Vision
I imagine a world where every person recognizes the importance of early experiences as drivers of joy and justice for our youngest children, where policies invest accordingly, and where caregivers are valued as essential partners in bringing this vision to life.