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ZERO TO THREE Annual Conference


Dear Groundwork Team:

I am happy to have the opportunity to share with you from sunny San Diego where I have spent the last two days at the ZERO TO THREE Annual Conference, learning from and connecting with 3,500 other early childhood advocates and practitioners from across the nation and world.

Even out on the west coast, it was easy to find our people (and of course take a required O-H-I-O picture). It was great to meet and spend time with Cindy Oser, Cleveland-based ZERO TO THREE, Director of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (I-ECMH) Strategy, Jeanine Gergel, Associate at the Bruening Foundation, Todd Barnhouse, Groundwork Steering Committee Member and Executive Director of the Ohio Resource and Referral Association along with 4C for Children staff from Cincinnati.

As Groundwork considers and plans for all of the opportunities we have to elevate our work and the needs of Ohio's youngest children in 2018, it has been inspiring to pause and learn with experts who share our objective to increase investments that support the development of young children. We are going bold in 2018 as we prepare for the state gubernatorial election and other special projects that we can't wait to share with you. Hearing about other states' early childhood stories and their system's progress has been invaluable to fully appreciating Ohio's assets and challenges to making Ohio the best place to be a kid.

ZERO TO THREE has incredible resources and I encourage you to learn from them with us. Some of the most interesting research that was shared was in the field of infant and early childhood mental health. Positive interactions with adults are critical for babies to make meaning of their surroundings and relationships. Watch this short Still-Face Experiment video to see for yourself!

Have a fantastic weekend and #ThinkBabies,

Lynanne Gutierrez (I got married last week!)

Policy & Advocacy Associate

ZERO TO THREE designed the Think Babies campaign to promote enriching early experiences and a strong foundation for development from the start. When we Think Babies, we build a better future for us all. Learn more and act now by clicking the image below.


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