Welcome to the ZERO TO THREE Conference Library! We’re so happy you’re here. We have awesome plenaries, keynotes, breakouts, Baby Talks and more!
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Join Dr. Ghosh Ippen on a powerful journey of reflection, where she will weave together key concepts from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) field, and her own experiences from 30+ years as an early childhood trauma therapist. With warmth and candor, she will share lessons learned, challenges faced, and guidance that has stood the test of time.
Kick off day two of the 2025 LEARN Conference with an inspiring and deeply personal Practice Plenary from Dr. Chandra Ghosh Ippen—renowned early childhood trauma therapist, researcher, and co-developer of Child-Parent Psychotherapy.
If you could go back in time, what wisdom would you share with your younger self to better support young children and families? What hard-earned lessons have shaped your work the most? Imagine having just one hour to distill decades of learnings.
Join Dr. Ghosh Ippen on a powerful journey of reflection, where she will weave together key concepts from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) field, and her own experiences from 30+ years as an early childhood trauma therapist. With warmth and candor, she will share lessons learned, challenges faced, and guidance that has stood the test of time.
Don't miss this rare opportunity to gain relatable, practical takeaways from a leader whose work has transformed the field. Leave inspired, equipped with new perspectives, and ready to carry this model of reflection into your own LEARNing journey—and beyond.
Learning Objectives for Session Evaluation:
Identify the ABCs of a trauma-informed response.
Define a “trauma-related expectation.”
Describe a “shame port of entry” and outline two specific strategies for responding effectively when someone expresses feelings of shame.
Certificate/CEU Requirements
Earn up to one contact hours (.1 CEUs) by completing the following:
View the entire recording
Complete the CEU Quiz with a passing score of 75% or better
The 2024 election promises to be one of the most consequential for the future of our nation. But what are the issues that matter most to babies? And what are our political leaders saying and doing to ensure all babies have a strong start in life?
The 2024 election promises to be one of the most consequential for the future of our nation. But what are the issues that matter most to babies? And what are our political leaders saying and doing to ensure all babies have a strong start in life?
Panelists:
Jackie Thu-Huong Wong, Executive Director, First 5 California. Jackie Thu-Huong Wong is dedicated to improving the lives of California's youngest children and their families. As the first woman of color serving as Executive Director of First 5 California, she oversees programs and policies that enhance early childhood development, with a focus on equity and inclusion.
Elizabeth Zamudio, Vice President, Education, Unidos US. Elizabeth Zamudio brings extensive experience in education and advocacy to her role at UnidosUS. She is committed to advancing educational opportunities for Latino children and families, and her work focuses on ensuring that all children have access to high-quality early education and support services.
Miriam Calderón, Chief Policy Officer, ZERO TO THREE (moderator). Miriam Calderón leads the Policy Center at ZERO TO THREE, advocating for federal and state policies that support infants, toddlers and their families. With a deep background in early childhood education and public policy, she has been instrumental in shaping initiatives that improve early learning and development outcomes nationwide.
These dynamic leaders will engage in a powerful discussion on the State of Babies across the United States and in California. They will explore how candidates and public policies can better address the diverse needs of infants, toddlers and their families. The conversation will also highlight the significant impact that can be realized from increased political support and federal and state investments across child care and early education, the early childhood education workforce, dual language learners, home visiting, mental health and housing.
Certificate/CEU Requirements
Earn up to one contact hours (.1 CEUs) by completing the following:
View the entire recording
Complete the CEU Quiz with a passing score of 75% or better
Complete the CEU evaluation
**Live Attendance or full viewing of session recordings required**.All registrants will have 30-day access to the session recording.
ZERO TO THREE is pleased to offer Continuing Education Units for a wide range of learning events, both in person and on line.
Contact hours and CEUs are automatically added to your registration for no additional charge. Registrants can earn up to 0.4 CEUs or 4 Contact hours for attending this event. Continuing Education Units are awarded with a passing quiz score of 75% or greater for each session and a completed series evaluation.
Learner Objectives:
Practice Plenary: Creating Space for Healing—Lessons From The Friendship Bench
As a result of this plenary session, participants will be able to:
Summarize the Friendship Bench program.
Articulate the primary benefits of a community-based approach to mental health services.
Describe potential application of the Friendship Bench initiative or its lessons learned in their early childhood work and/or community.
Research/Science Plenary: The Health, Mental Health, and General Wellbeing of Our Early Childhood Education Professionals
As a result of this plenary session, participants will be able to:
Summarize the impact of COVID-19 on early childhood educators in the United States.
Articulate the relationship between race and the health and mental health of early childhood educators in the United States.
Describe the status of mental health supports for American early childhood education professionals and considerations to advance them.
Policy Plenary - Why is Raising a Baby in the United States So Hard? And what we can do
As a result of this plenary session, participants will be able to:
Get new insights on the most urgent policy priorities for addressing the challenges American families face in raising babies.
Understand the crucial role of voting in local, state and federal elections to advocate for policies that benefit young children.
Learn effective strategies and tools you can use to get policymakers to take BOLD ACTION for BABIES NOW!
Keynote address by Dr. Mariel Buqué, bestselling author of Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma
As a result of this keynote session, participants will be able to:
Describe the impacts of and healing approaches for intergenerational trauma.
Recall typical signs and symptoms of trauma.
Articulate the importance of prioritizing hope.
Contact hours offered may vary per discipline. For more information regarding ZERO TO THREE CEUs, please visit: https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/1657-earn-ceus-from-zero-to-three. Please note: A computer or electronic device with internet connection is required for successful completion. Each session will be hosted for 1 hour and includes a brief introduction, 45 mins of content based teaching, and 10 to 15 minutes of Q and A. Questions can be posted throughout the session, and the presenter will address as many as possible.
Additional Details:
ZERO TO THREE is accredited as an Authorized Provider of Continuing Education and Training by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). In obtaining this accreditation, we have demonstrated compliance with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices. As the official standard for continuing education and training, IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are recognized by a wide range of organizations, including professional associations, regulatory boards, corporations, and universities.
Though IACET CEUs are widely accepted, it is up to each organization to choose whether or not it will accept them. For this reason, we strongly advise that you confirm in advance if a particular body accepts IACET CEUs. To view a list of companies, regulatory boards, and organizations that have reported to accept the IACET CEU credit, please click here. This list is not exhaustive, nor does it guarantee that an IACET CEU will automatically be accepted.
*Presenters have affirmed that they do not have proprietary interest in products, instruments, devices, services or materials discussed in this course, and have confirmed that they have not been compensated in relation to this presentation.
This session highlights novel, competency-based approaches to infant-toddler practitioner coaching and mentoring developed by two Illinois institutions. Participants will learn how unique, intentionally designed coaching and mentoring models create rich and engaged learner experiences, expand higher education and workplace partnerships, and support quality infant-toddler programming.
This session highlights novel, competency-based approaches to infant-toddler practitioner coaching and mentoring developed by two Illinois institutions. Participants will learn how unique, intentionally designed coaching and mentoring models create rich and engaged learner experiences, expand higher education and workplace partnerships, and support quality infant-toddler programming.
Erika Gustafson Dietz
Erikson Institute
Erika Gustafson Dietz is a curriculum specialist and competency-based education and learning researcher in the infant studies program at the Erikson Institute, a graduate school of child development located in Chicago, IL. Erika’s scholarship and research lie at the intersection of education and policy research, focused on the development of equitable pathways in post-secondary learning to meet the complex needs of the early childhood workforce. She is specifically interested in competency-based education and learning as one model to meet those needs, especially for adult learners and the incumbent workforce, through intentionally designed and engaged learning experiences. This work is informed by Erika’s own professional experiences in early childhood education and care and by her personal experience navigating higher education as a first-generation college student.
Johnna Darragh-Ernst
Heartland Community College
Dr. Johnna Darragh Ernst is a Distinguished Professor of Early Childhood Education at Heartland Community College in Normal, Illinois. For the past several years, her work has focused on collaboratively developing competency-based pathways supporting early childhood practitioners in Illinois. Together with Drs. Nancy Latham, Tiffany Freeze and Stephanie Bernoteit, she developed and co-authored the Competency Development Process Model for Higher Education (in press). In addition to publishing numerous articles, she has authored two early childhood textbooks focusing on inclusion and family engagement. She co-authored and edited Voices from the Field: Collaborative Innovations in Early Childhood Educator Preparation (Bernoteit, Darragh Ernst, & Latham, 2016), which focuses on the Illinois effort to develop a competency-based model of early childhood educator preparation. Within Heartland, Dr. Darragh Ernst has created several competency-based learning pathways designed to maximize student access, decrease student cost, and minimize time to credential and degree.
The early childhood workforce experiences system challenges across health care, education and care, mental health, child welfare, and early intervention. This session examines key challenges across disciplines—compensation, burnout, safety, and retention, which undermine workforce effectiveness, exacerbated by the pandemic. It highlights strategies for policymakers and program directors.
The early childhood workforce experiences system challenges across health care, education and care, mental health, child welfare, and early intervention. This session examines key challenges across disciplines—compensation, burnout, safety, and retention, which undermine workforce effectiveness, exacerbated by the pandemic. It highlights strategies for policymakers and program directors.
Megan Carolan
Vice President of Research
Institute for Child Success
Megan Carolan is Vice President of Research at the Institute for Child Success. She oversees the Institute’s policy research agenda, leads written projects and communicates with a range of stakeholders in the early childhood world. Her areas of expertise span center-based care and education, pediatric health care policy, and prenatal support policies. She has a strong research interest in the workforces which support excellent early childhood care and has recently co-authored a paper on these issues. She was the lead researcher on ICS’s recent surveys of early childhood and health care professionals to capture their experiences during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Megan was previously the Policy Research Coordinator at the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University, where she focused on the policy landscape shaping state-funded pre-K and Head Start programs. She holds a Master of Public Policy (2011), with a concentration in social policy, from the Rutgers University.
How can we become allies in breaking down the icons, structures, and processes of settler colonialism and systemic racism? And, it is possible to envision a new mindfulness, a decolonized mindfulness?
Overview
On May 25, 2020, the world watched as White police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd, a Black man, who had been arrested for allegedly using a counterfeit bill. Floyd was forced to the ground, face down, handcuffed, and was begging for his life saying “I can't breathe” and calling for his mother, while Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly 9 minutes before he died. On May 26, 2020, demonstrations began to protest Floyd's murder and the murder of other Black people and people of color by the police. The protests have transformed into direct action to topple systemic racism and white supremacy. Racist monuments and statues of white supremacists have been torn down or removed; the Confederate flag is now longer allowed in car racing sports or in the U.S. military; the names of white supremacist leaders and donors are being removed from school and university buildings; and professional sports teams have begun reversing their opposition to players, such as Colin Kaepernick, who kneel during the U.S. national anthem to bring calls to stop the murder of Black people and police brutality.
Meanwhile, where has the mindfulness movement been in this revolution? What have we done to directly confront systemic racism, white supremacy, and colonization? Should we defund the present mindfulness movement and declare it another pillar of white supremacy? Should we fiercely interrogate the value of concepts such as compassion, self-awareness, and the right intention? In this time in history we are in a period of decolonization, in what Dr. Franz Fanon, the French West Indian psychiatrist, termed "A Dying Colonialism." In his ground-breaking book, The Wretched of the Earth, Fanon declared that decolonization must always be a violent phenomenon because "resisting a colonizing power using only politics will not work." How can we become allies in breaking down the icons, structures, and processes of settler colonialism and systemic racism? And, it is possible to envision a new mindfulness, a decolonized mindfulness?
Faculty & P-5 Competency Domains
Faculty: Michael Yellow Bird, MSW, PhD, Dean and Professor Faculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba
P-5 Competency Domains:
P-5 (6) Leadership to Meet Family Needs and Improve Services and Systems
P-5 (5) Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness
Presenters have affirmed that they do not have proprietary interest in products, instruments, devices, services or materials discussed in this event, but have been compensated by ZERO TO THREE for this presentation.
2020 began with long-standing challenges facing the youngest children and their families and promising visions of creating a better world for them. Little did we know then what the year would bring.
Overview
2020 began with long-standing challenges facing the youngest children and their families and promising visions of creating a better world for them. Little did we know then what the year would bring. To open the ZERO TO THREE Annual Conference we have asked Joan Lombardi, PhD, a longstanding champion for young children in the US and around the world, to reflect on the status of young children and families before COVID-19 as well as the impact of the pandemic, and to provide a call to action moving forward into a new and better future.
Faculty & P-5 Competency Domains
Faculty: Joan Lombardi, PhD, Senior Advisor & Director, Early Opportunities
P-5 Competency Domains:
P-5 (6) Leadership to Meet Family Needs and Improve Services and Systems
P-5 (4) Health and Developmental Protective and Risk Factors
Presenters have affirmed that they do not have proprietary interest in products, instruments, devices, services or materials discussed in this event, but have been compensated by ZERO TO THREE for this presentation.
Policymakers have a big impact on babies and families, but decisions being made on Capitol Hill and in state capitols often seem far away. However, early childhood professionals and parents bring key expertise and passion to policy advocacy and have a powerful role to play.
Overview
Policymakers have a big impact on babies and families, but decisions being made on Capitol Hill and in state capitols often seem far away. However, early childhood professionals and parents bring key expertise and passion to policy advocacy and have a powerful role to play. This session will feature a panel of advocates—parents and professionals—sharing their journeys to advocacy and the impact of their work. Come learn how you can leverage your knowledge to make a difference for our nation’s babies.
Faculty & P-5 Competency Domains
Faculty: Myra Jones-Taylor, PhD, Chief Policy Officer, ZERO TO THREE, Brenda Jones Harden, PhD, University of Maryland, School of Social Work; Brooke Cisneros, Strolling Thunder mom and early childhood educator, New Mexico; Destiney Prieto, Strolling Thunder mom, Arizona
P-5 Competency Domains:
P-5 (7) Professional and Ethical Practices
P-5 (6) Leadership to Meet Family Needs and Improve Services and Systems
Presenters have affirmed that they do not have proprietary interest in products, instruments, devices, services or materials discussed in this event, but have been compensated by ZERO TO THREE for this presentation.
Long before birth, significant brain development and early learning has occurred. Women’s stress and mental health problems during pregnancy affect women as well as their future children. Adversities such as poverty and racism affect babies before they are born. Even earlier intervention, during pregnancy, can support healthy families and healthy children.
Overview
Long before birth, significant brain development and early learning has occurred. Women’s stress and mental health problems during pregnancy affect women as well as their future children. Adversities such as poverty and racism affect babies before they are born. Even earlier intervention, during pregnancy, can support healthy families and healthy children.
Faculty & P-5 Competency Domains
Faculty: Catherine Monk, PhD, Professor of Medical Psychology, and Director, Women’s Mental Health @Ob/Gyn, Columbia University Medical Center
P-5 Competency Domains:
P-5 (1) Early Childhood Development
P-5 (4) Health and Developmental Protective and Risk Factors
Presenters have affirmed that they do not have proprietary interest in products, instruments, devices, services or materials discussed in this event, but have been compensated by ZERO TO THREE for this presentation.
Baby Talk 7
Overview
Every behavior is driven by a goal. Too often “behavior management” is narrowly defined. The challenge is ours in a relationship-based approach to consider “the whole”: the whole child, our whole self, and the whole relationship. Being curious about what is happening when a child exhibits behaviors, and about what is going on inside of us, can help us understand behavior, prevent some potential behavior conflicts in the future, and resolve others in a way that strengthens adult–child relationships. Challenge accepted!
Faculty & P-5 Competency Domains
Faculty: Katrina Macasaet, ZERO TO THREE
P-5 Competency Domains:
P-5 (1) Early Childhood Development
P-5 (3) Relationship-Based Practice
Baby Talk 8
Infant and early childhood mental health consultation has developed into a major component of early childhood systems. This has included the development of national competencies, research and evaluation, and policy development. In rural, frontier, tribal, and territorial communities these all may prove more challenging. This talk will challenge our national standards.
Faculty & P-5 Competency Domains
Faculty: Neal Horen, PhD, Georgetown University
P-5 Competency Domains:
P-5 (6) Leadership to Meet Family Needs and Improve Services and Systems
P-5 (5) Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness
Baby Talk 7 — Guiding Behavior—The Challenge Is Ours!
Overview
Every behavior is driven by a goal. Too often “behavior management” is narrowly defined. The challenge is ours in a relationship-based approach to consider “the whole”: the whole child, our whole self, and the whole relationship. Being curious about what is happening when a child exhibits behaviors, and about what is going on inside of us, can help us understand behavior, prevent some potential behavior conflicts in the future, and resolve others in a way that strengthens adult–child relationships. Challenge accepted!
Faculty & P-5 Competency Domains
Faculty: Katrina Macasaet, ZERO TO THREE
P-5 Competency Domains:
P-5 (1) Early Childhood Development
P-5 (3) Relationship-Based Practice
Baby Talk 8—Are You Kidd-Ing? Mental Heatlh Consultation in
Rural and Frontier Settings
Overview
Infant and early childhood mental health consultation has developed into a major component of early childhood systems. This has included the development of national competencies, research and evaluation, and policy development. In rural, frontier, tribal, and territorial communities these all may prove more challenging. This talk will challenge our national standards.
Faculty & P-5 Competency Domains
Faculty: Neal Horen, PhD, Georgetown University
P-5 Competency Domains:
P-5 (6) Leadership to Meet Family Needs and Improve Services and Systems
P-5 (5) Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness
Presenters have affirmed that they do not have proprietary interest in products, instruments, devices, services or materials discussed in this event, and have confirmed that they have not been compensated in relation to this presentation.
In 2017, Power to the Profession was established as a national collaboration to define the early childhood education profession, birth through age 8, across states and settings. Learn about the latest status and steps as this effort transitions toward implementation in our new and changing realities. Hear from Power to the Profession’s broad-based Task Force leaders as they illuminate ways to seize opportunities now to advance changes with, from, and for an effective, diverse, and fairly compensated early childhood education workforce.
Baby Talk 5 - 6: Power to the Profession: Now What?
Overview
In 2017, Power to the Profession was established as a national collaboration to define the early childhood education profession, birth through age 8, across states and settings. Learn about the latest status and steps as this effort transitions toward implementation in our new and changing realities. Hear from Power to the Profession’s broad-based Task Force leaders as they illuminate ways to seize opportunities now to advance changes with, from, and for an effective, diverse, and fairly compensated early childhood education workforce.
Faculty: Matthew Melmed, Chief Executive Officer, ZERO TO THREE; Rhian Evans Allvin, Chief Executive Officer, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
P-5 Competency Domains:
P-5 (7) Professional and Ethical Practices
P-5 (6) Leadership to Meet Family Needs and Improve Services and Systems
Presenters have affirmed that they do not have proprietary interest in products, instruments, devices, services or materials discussed in this event, and have confirmed that they have not been compensated in relation to this presentation.
